POTKM Volume 9: Escape From Rapture
by AndrewK9000
Summary: Our heroes dive deep into Andrew Ryan's underwater dystopia in search of the next missing power. Secrets will be revealed, alliances will be formed, and a new evil shall arise, one that Sora and the others will find most heartbreaking. Who will survive?
1. Prolog: A Ritual Most Foul

_Greetings, fellow readers and writers! This is the ninth volume of Path of the Keyblade Wielders and I hope you like it! Okay, I last left you on the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers as The Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions and their friends witnessed an act of utter evil and the birth of a Princess of Dark, while Sora and the rest of the gang proceeded unaware to their next destination, the underwater dystopia of Rapture. That's right, we've left the shores of Dead Island and dove deep into the realm of Bioshock. Timewise, this story will involve the city of Rapture and several in-game characters, yet the story won't follow the plot of the actual game. This will be an original story set within the universe of Bioshock._

_One thing I should mention is that there will be some hardcore swearing on behalf of the residents of Rapture, both from the game and those that I created, so please don't be offended._

_As usual, the only things I own in this story are my original characters, everything else belongs to their respective owners, so please don't sue me, I'm only trying to tell a good story. And now, without further delay, let the tale begin!_

**Prolog: A Ritual Most Foul **

…**Castle Oblivion…**

"Ah, there you are, Leslie," said Columbina as she stood in the middle of the Interocitor room, along with Young Xehanort, Regina and the rest of the dark conclave of villains. Emerging from a portal was The Lord of Illusions, carrying in his arms the broken-hearted Bethany Greenhill, her body covered in patches of dark energy that were converging on her heart.

"Not that I don't mind a random act of murder," said Dio Brando, "but why'd you kill that brat's bratty sister?"

"And why aren't you dead, trickster?" Lady Tremaine asked irately, "we all saw you slain by the zombified Phobos."

"Give me some credit," said a viciously smiling Lord of Illusions as he laid Bethany on a chair, "I've been faking my own death for decades. "

"So," said Regina as she and Young Xehanort looked at the seemingly catatonic Bethany, "she's the final of the third set of Princesses of Heart."

"She _was _a candidate," said Columbina, "a potential whose powers had not yet awakened, nor will they ever, not in service of light that is."

"And she was right under Sora's nose the whole time," said Young Xehanort, "more importantly, she was under the nose of that meddling bitch, Alegra."

"Yes, I finally got the better of her," said Columbina smugly.

"Not before she almost exposed your identity," said Gaston as he walked up, a grin of mischief in his face, "I was a bit disappointed, I'll bet you're a total knockout beneath that mask."

"Why do you wear that childish mask, anyway?" Lady Tremaine asked, "is it to cover a horrific scar? Or are you perhaps ashamed of something else?" She reached for Columbina's mask, "let's find out."

Columbina responded by grabbing Lady Tremaine's outstretched hand and unleashed a pulse of dark magic. Lady Tremaine screamed in agony as she pulled her hand back to reveal blackened and smoldering bones.

"No one touches my mask and gets away with it!" snapped Columbina, "I still owe Alegra for trying to unmask me."

"Oh, so you're like a luchador," said Insano, "on second thought, you're not the type. You're far too flamboyant, even a masked wrestler."

"It doesn't matter why she wears a mask," said Regina irately. She then looked at Bethany, "the point is that she has succeeded in her goal of creating a Princess of Dark."

"No, not yet," said Columbina.

"But…you did," said Dio Brando, "you cracked her heart."

"Which is slowly but surely being consumed by darkness," said Columbina, "but this is only the first step in the process. Without taking proper measures, the purity of this child's heart will simply fade to normal and she will become yet another Heartless, a strong one, but still a mindless abomination, mere cannon fodder for those fools in The Realms of Light.

"No," said Columbina as she walked up to the still catatonic Bethany, "I have not labored for so long to simply end up with another Heartless drone. I seek a true villainess whom shall traverse The Realms of Light and leave death, destruction and despair in her wake."

"An ambitious goal," said Regina, "but there's still the matter of Sora and his companions."

"When Bethany has completed her metamorphosis," said Columbina, "not even Sora and all of his fellow Keyblade Wielders combined will be able to stop her."

"Which is what you intended from the beginning," said an intrigued Young Xehanort, "you want Bethany to be the one to destroy Sora and his friends."

"And I'll be there to enjoy ever second of their agonizing defeat," said a wickedly smiling Columbina.

"But how will you do it?" Regina asked, "how will you turn this pathetic little girl into such an incredible pillar of darkness?"

"And what's with your need for The Sampo?" Sephiroth asked.

"That's my dirty little secret," said Columbina, "as to how Bethany shall ascend to her dark destiny, I shall require some assistance for that matter."

At that a portal opened and from it emerged two individuals. The first was a man in his mid 40's with pale brown eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses with slightly scratched lenses, graying brown hair and wearing a frayed and patched blue uniform with black gloves. With him was The Lord of Illusions, his color-changing suit and cloak having desert colors.

"What the…?!" exclaimed Dio Brando as he pointed at The Lord of Illusions standing with the newcomer, then at the one standing next Columbina, "how'd you do that!?"

"Do you really have to ask?" both Lords of Illusions asked.

"He can create copies of himself," said an intrigued Sepiroth, "I knew he was a trickster, but doppelgangers is something else."

"Yes, Leslie's ability to be in many places at once has made him indispensable," said Columbina, "as we speak, two of his copies are searing for the remaining missing powers. I expect the final two to be in my possession while Sora's still searching for the third."

"And I'll go get the third soon enough," said the Lord of Illusions that brought in Bethany, "I just want to see how this next part plays out."

"In the meantime," said the Lord of Illusions in desert colors, "allow me to introduce Davis Blackwood, formerly of Central."

"Hello," said Davis Blackwood in a bored tone as he looked at the assembled villains.

"You're a State Alchemist," said Young Xehanort, "from the same world as Aiden Mackenzie."

"I _was_ a State Alchemist," said Davis Blackwood dryly, "until my peers got wind of my experiments in human transmutation. I was lucky enough to escape with my life and go into exile in the desert."

"Which is where I found him," said Leslie number 2, "believe me, when a man wishes to get lost in the desert, he stays lost."

"But you found him," said Regina. She then looked at Columbina, "and brought him here. Why?"

"All in good time, my friend," said Columbina, "all in good time."

Just then another portal opened and from it emerged a third Lord of Illusions, this one wearing a red and black business suit and tie and a black bowler hat. With him was a woman wearing red and black robes and carrying a black staff with purple symbols. She had long, dark blond hair tied in a braid and a rather beautiful face disturbingly offset by a pair of multifaceted eyes.

"Thank wickedness we're not the last ones to the party," said Leslie number 3, "you won't believe how much of a pain in the ass dealing with The Council of Nine was."

"And yet here we are, as I promised we would," said the woman with the insect-like eyes.

"You're a Raztonian," said an intrigued Insano.

"I am," said the woman, "Halenio'ketalc, 8th Level Master Mage of the Raztonian Empire, at your service."

"You are welcome to our humble abode," said Young Xehanort.

"But what is your purpose here?" Regina asked.

"Patience, my friend," said Columbina, "there is one more factor to take into account before Bethany's metamorphoses can begin."

Just then a third portal opened and from it emerged another Lord of Illusions, this one wearing a color-changing Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts with a straw hat, sunglasses and sandals.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone," said Leslie number 4 in an exasperated tone, "you won't believe what I had to do to convince this jackass to come."

"What jackass?" Dio Brando asked, "it's just you."

"What?" Leslie number 34 asked as he looked around, "oh come on! Where is he!?"

It was then that the lights blinked out, plunging the room into pitch blackness.

"Now what?!" Regina asked irately.

It was then that a loud drum roll sounded, followed by a gong ring that accompanied a burst of dark green light as a tall man wearing outlandish wizards robes and hat appeared hovering in midair in the room. He had long black hair, orange eyes and wore gold and gem-encrusted rings on his fingers.

"Greetings and salutations, fellow disciples of the dark!" said the newcomer in an overly dramatic manner, "you have the honor and privilege to be in the presence of the greatest master of the black arts in the history of magic itself! Zotarius: The Despoiler!"

"Who?" a confused Lady Tremaine asked.

"I…huh?" the newcomer asked as the lights returned to normal in the room and he lowered himself to the floor, "surely you must know who I am. Zotarius: The Despoiler! Summoner of a thousand demons! Ravager of ten thousand worlds! Shatterer of a hundred thousand hearts! Surely you have heard of me, no?"

"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell," said Gaston.

"Where'd you dig up this oddball?" Dio Brando asked Leslie number 3.

"Albuquerque, New Mexico," said Leslie number 3, "on Earth C-443."

"And you expect me to work with this showboating idiot?" Davis Blackwood asked, "I've got better things to do with my time."

"You're no price yourself, cyborg!" snapped Halenio'ketalc.

"What cyborg?" Lady Tremaine asked. But then a thundering reverb sounded through the air as Zotarius hovered in front of Davis Blackwood.

"Foolish mortal!" snapped Zotarius, "never insult a Warlock! It may be the last thing you ever do!"

"If you're a warlock then I'm an acrobat," said Davis Blackwood as he straightened his glasses.

"He's no practitioner of the black arts," said Halenio'ketalc as she glared at Zotarius, "he's a cheep purveyor of parlor tricks!"

"And you are a miserable excuse for an evolved insect!" said Zotarius, "I could crush you with a simple gravity spell!"

"For that I shall tear out your soul and offer it to Vykkao'shatl'uq!" shouted Halenio'ketalc.

"I'll transmutation you both into gelatinous cubes!" snapped Davis Blackwood.

"Gentlemen and lady, please!" shouted the original Lord of Illusions as his copies restrained the three dark arts users, "I did not dispatch my doppelgangers to bring you here, all so that you can tear yourselves to pieces over a simple cultural misunderstanding."

"But by all means, continue," said Sephiroth, "it can get rather tedious here at times."

"Yes, one can only stand looking at the Interocitor for so long without further entertainment," said Lady Tremaine as her burned hand regenerated.

"There will be no dissidence among you three," said Columbina to Halenio'ketalc, Zotarius and Davis Blackwood, "or I shall send you back to the hellholes you came from without the rewards promised."

"And just what did you promise them?" Regina asked suspiciously.

"Why, the key to their desires," said Columbina, "for Mr. Blackwood, he shall have fresh test subjects for his human transmutation and chimera experiments."

"The results of which I shall take back to those fools in Central and prove to them all that I was right!" said Davis Blackwood as he raised his right fist in triumph, the sleeve of his coat falling down to expose a metal forearm.

"So, you are a cyborg," said Young Xehanort, "fascinating."

"An unfortunate side effect of an interrupted experiment," said Davis Blackwood as he pushed the sleeve up on his arm, revealing that that it was metal all the way to his shoulder, "my former colleagues prevented me from finishing a complex and dangerous transmutation. There was an explosion. Many were killed and I was lucky to escape with my life, but my body would never be the same.

"After I received my Automail, I was hauled in front of a board of inquiry and charged with not only unethical experiments, but also reckless endangerment of my fellow State Alchemists. I tried to argue that there would have been no accident if I hadn't been interrupted, that my work was necessary to advance the fields of Alchemy.

"Yet my fate was already sealed. What should have been a fair and impartial hearing was nothing less than a kangaroo court. I was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life behind bars. What else could I do but escape and vow revenge on the fools who ruined my work?

"Yet I was hunted down by my former colleagues, including one rather annoying alchemist with a rather annoying ability. They hauled me back to Central for another trial and this time I was sentenced to life in solitary confinement. Yet I once again escaped and went into the desert, where I would have remained in hiding for the rest of my days, had it not been for Leslie."

"What an interesting back-story," said Halenio'ketalc dryly.

"What's yours, sister?" Dio Brando asked.

"I am not your sister!" snapped Halenio'ketalc as she aimed her staff at Dio Brando and hit him with a full body bind that left the homicidal Stand User as stiff as a board. She then glared at the other villains, "I don't appreciate being called anything but my proper name or title."

"Okay, we get it," said Gaston as he raised his hands in a placating manner, "no nicknames or terms of endearment."

"See that you don't," said Halenio'ketalc, "as for what I get out of this arrangement, what all Raztonians want; life energy and enough of it to restore our full strength, upon which we shall emerge from our exile and feast upon the worlds of the multi-verse!"

"Just so long as your people stay away from The Realms of Light," said Regina, "this is our territory."

"I want as little to do with this realm and its wretched Keyblade Wielders," said Halenio'ketalc, "The Council of Nine may wish to conquer this place, but my influence among them is growing. In time I shall convince them seek greener pastures upon our release."

"Which brings us to you, Zotarius," said Young Xehanort, "what is it that you seek that Columbina promises to grant?"

"Vengeance!" snapped Zotarius, "vengeance upon my fellow warlocks and witches whom banished me from my native realm!"

"What'd you do to make them kick you out?" Gaston asked.

"I'll bet they were so offended by your overacting that they couldn't wait to get rid of you," said Lady Tremaine.

"I did nothing short of try to take over my native realm," said Zotarius, "and I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for my college roommates whom betrayed me, especially _that _one and his wretched family. Oh, they'll pay, they'll all pay!"

"And they will pay," said Columbina as she walked up to Zotarius, then looked at Davis Blackwood, "just as the ones who ruined your work shall suffer. As for you, Halenio'ketalc, you and your people shall receive an entire world full of life energy, enough to significantly shorten your people's exile."

"Then what are we waiting for?" the Raztonian sorceress asked, "where do we start?"

"With a specific transmutation circle," said Columbina as she summoned a scroll and handed it to Davis Blackwood.

"This is unlike anything I've ever seen," said the renegade alchemist as he read the scroll, "in fact, I doubt anyone on my world has seen this level of alchemy."

"You can do it, right?" Gaston asked.

"Of course I can do it," said Davis Blackwood in an insulted tone, "I just need some space to work, so get out of my way, all of you!"

"I suggest we do as he asks," said Young Xehanort as he and the others backed away, leaving Davis Blackwood several square meters of empty floor space.

"Thank you," said Davis Blackwood dryly as he pulled out a box of chalk sticks, knelt down and began drawing.

"Now that our alchemist friend has started," said Columbina as she looked at Zotarius, Halenio'ketalc and Regina, "the next step shall involve you three."

"Why me?" Regina asked suspiciously, "what do you need me for?"

"I need three masters of the dark arts to initiate the metamorphosis," said Columbina as she summoned three scrolls and handed one to Regina, one to Zotarius and one to Halenio'ketalc, "I would have asked Maleficent to participate and there was a high probability she would have said 'yes,' but _someone _had to accelerate their feud with her and force her to run away!"

"My grievance with Maleficent is none of your business," said Regina as she glared at Columbina, "and just what would you have offered Maleficent to partake in your little ritual?"

"And what are you offering her?" Sephiroth asked.

"Nothing," said Columbina.

"Nothing," repeated Regina, "a bold statement. You actually expect me to help you with the promise of nothing in return?"

"You didn't let me finish," said Columbina, "I said nothing, but meant nothing physical. What I am offering is a promise, a guarantee that, if the metamorphosis is a success, then I swear by all the forces of darkness and beyond, that you shall have Snow White's heart of a silver platter. Oh, excuse me, you wanted her heart in a box."

"Why did you want Snow White's heart in a box?" Dio Brando asked as the full body bind wore off and he stood up.

"So I could look at it," said Regina in a distant, thoughtful tone, as if her wicked mind was in full motion.

"Yes, you still wish her dead," said Columbina in an insinuating manner, "despite all your talk of moving on to other ambitions, despite your gracious offer of a truce to the Realms of Light, you are still a spiteful, vain woman brimming with hatred for the little girl who dared usurp your rightful title of Fairest Of Them All."

"What about me?!" Lady Tremaine asked irately, "I still hate Cinderella!"

"And I hate Belle!" said Gaston.

"You'll all get yours in the fullness of time," said Columbina, "but first thing's first," she looked at Regina, "so, do we have a deal?" she then held out her hand.

"Just one more thing," said Regina, "if this works and you have your Princess of Dark, and if she does somehow manage to defeat Sora and his companions and somehow conquer the Realms of Light, I want to see the face behind the mask. If this works, you will take off that mask and reveal yourself unto everyone present in this room."

"I'll put it in writing if you wish," said Young Xehanort as he brought out a roll of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink.

"That won't be necessary," said Columbina, "a handshake between civilized women will suffice," she looked at Regina, "yes, if the plan succeeds in all respects, I will reveal myself unto you all."

"Then we have a deal," said Regina as she shook Columbina's hand.

"Yes, that's all well and done," said a mildly impatient Zotarius, "can we begin already?"

"I'm not done yet!" said Davis Blackwood as he drew on the floor, "I'm not even halfway done."

"Then you can use the time to study your role in the ritual," said Columbina as she glared at Zotarius, "just as the other two members of this triad should."

"I've already memorized it," said Halenio'ketalc as she tossed her scroll over her shoulder, then summoned a wine flask and drank a long gulp from it.

"Should you be drinking while on the job?" Gaston asked.

"I always drink before a complicated bit of magic," said Halenio'ketalc, "and it wasn't alcohol, my kind do not drink alcohol."

"Then what was it?" Regina asked as she read her scroll.

"Distilled life energy," said Halenio'ketalc, "long ago my people would bite into our victims and extract the life energy in a vampyric manner, but we've become far too civilized for such crude and rather messy methods." She then took another swig from the flask.

"Where's the fun if you don't get a little dirty in the process?" Dio Brando asked.

"Raztonians are devourers, not barbarians," said Halenio'ketalc, "there's a difference." She then took another swig, then let out a loud belch, upon which she blushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sure there is," said a smugly smiling Davis Blackwood as he stood up from a complex and intricate transmutation circle, "I've finished. Now what?"

"Now the fun begins," said the original Lord of Illusions as one of his doppelgangers carried the still catatonic Bethany into the middle of the circle.

"Each of you should stand exactly 120 degrees apart on the circle," said Columbina. At that Regina, Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc did so, taking equidistant positions around Bethany.

"Mr. Blackwood," said Columbina, "activate the circle, if you please."

At that Davis Blackwood bent down, touching the edge of the chalk drawing with his fingertips. The circle glowed with a bright blue light.

"Begin the ritual! Now!" exclaimed Columbina. At that the three dark magic users began chanting in an alien language.

"What is this?" Lady Tremaine asked, "What are they saying?"

"If you understood half of the words involved," said The Lord of Illusions, "you'd have nightmares for eternity."

After approximately five minutes of chanting, the three dark magic users stopped and stood back. The light of the transmutation circle changed from blue to dark purple, almost black. Bethany was engulfed by this light and a crackling of energy could be heard.

When the light faded, Bethany was gone and a large, dark purple cocoon-like object stood in the center of the transmutation circle.

"The metamorphosis has begun!" said Columbina triumphantly.

"Just what did you do to that poor child?" Young Xehanort asked.

"Is she in that thing?" Gaston asked as he and Lady Tremaine walked up to the cocoon, the later reaching out and touching the object.

"It feels like crystal," said Lady Tremaine, "yet it is warm."

A soft purple glow could then be seen within the cocoon, a light that pulsed with a slow, steady rhythm, accompanied by a equally pulsing sound that resembled a heartbeat.

"How long will she be in that thing?" Young Xehanort asked.

"As long as it takes," said The Lord of Illusions.

"Hey, where'd your copies go?" Dio Brando asked.

"My doppelgangers have their new assignments," said The Lord of Illusions, "and so do I. Until we meet again, my interesting friends!" he then gave an elaborate and flourishing bow and exited via portal.

"He has the right idea," said Davis Blackwood. He then looked at Columbina, "I did what you asked, now you'll keep your end of the bargain!"

"Where is the means for my vengeance!?" Zotarius demanded.

"And where is this world my people can feast upon?" Halenio'ketalc asked.

At that Columbina summoned a large manila folder filled with documents and handed it to Davis Blackwood, "I believe everything you three asked for is in this."

"Just what is your endgame?" Regina asked as Davis Blackwood, Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc read the file, "what is your real motive."

"If you have to ask," said Columbina in a playful manner, "then you truly do not deserve to know. Just be content that you shall soon have Snow White's heart where you can look at it to your own hearts' satisfaction."

"Wow!" said Davis Blackwood as he read the documents, "this is…this is…"

"Incredible!" said an amazed Zotarius, "what a complex and Machiavellian stratagem!"

"It all fits together," said an astonished Halenio'ketalc, "each individual component would hardly seem related to the rest, but when put together…brilliant, simply brilliant."

"You two realize," said Davis Blackwood, "that if any of us is to have a chance of making this work, then we three must work together, or we might as well not try at all."

"Yes, an alliance does seem essential," said Zotarius.

"Why not?" Halenio'ketalc asked, "stranger things have happened." With that she put out her left hand, at which Zotarius placed his hand atop hers, then Davis Blackwood placed his atop Zotarius, "here's to the beginning of an alliance of evil, a black triskelion to achieve our goals."

"I like that," said Davis Blackwood, "The Black Triskelion. It simply sings of malevolence."

"The Black Triskelion," said Zotarius, "so let it be."

"Now that we have a name to our little conclave," said Halenio'ketalc, "I suggest we set out to accomplish our goals. There's a lot of work ahead for the three of us."

"And the sooner we get started," said Davis Blackwood, "the sooner we shall all have what we want."

"Then may I suggest we start with what I need?" Zotarius asked, "if we are too succeed, then I must recover a few essential items I left in my native realm."

"After that we'll have to stop back at my hideout in the desert," said Davis Blackwood, "I have a few rare alchemy texts that may prove useful."

"And I shall have to speak with The Council of Nine for additional mages and military support," said Halenio'ketalc, "and we have other realms to visit and items to acquire, but to the native land of Zotarius first."

At that Zotarius summoned a large wooden door complete with a doorframe and a crystal doorknob, "this way if you will." He walked up to the door and opened it, revealing a strange blackness, almost as if the inside of a large closet.

"What kind of portal spell is this?" a suspicious Halenio'ketalc as she and Davis Blackwood looked into the shadowy inside of the doorway.

"The kind my kind uses," said Zotarius, "are you coming or not?"

"I'm not one to be called a coward," said Davis Blackwood.

"Neither am I," said Halenio'ketalc. With that they both walked into the shadowy doorway, with Zotarius right behind and closing the door. There was a flash of lightning from the cracks in the doorway and a crash of thunder, then the doorway vanished.

"What a dramatic exit," said Lady Tremaine sarcastically.

"They served their purpose," said Columbina, "and may yet serve further."

"Okay," said Dio Brando, "so now what?"

"Now?" Columbina asked as she looked at the assembled villains, "now we search out Sora and his companions. It will be some time before Bethany completes her metamorphoses, so until then, it's business as usual." She then looked at The Lord of Illusions, "isn't that right, Leslie?"

"Yep," said The Lord of Illusions as he leaned against one of the chairs in a nonchalant manner, "make life as miserable as possible for the Keyblade Brats."

"That's what we've been trying to do," said in irate Regina, "and have been doing an adequate job even before you stuck your face into our business!"

"But it wasn't enough," said Columbina, "not nearly enough. But with my help, Sora will regret ever picking up his Keyblade in the first place. He and his companions, they thought they experienced true horror on Banoi. Trust me, my fellow followers of the dark, our foes know not true suffering, yet."

* * *

**…Radiant Garden…**

"Something's wrong," said King Mickey as he paced back and forth on one of the remaining intact balconies of the castle, looking over the massive reconstruction throughout the city below. A recently arrived team of New Zumakali engineers and construction workers was warmly welcomed by the local population and the rebuilding of Radiant Garden had commenced once again.

"What is it now?" Quistis asked as she, Leon, Yuffie, Queen Minnie, Donald and Goofy, stood nearby.

"Got a pencil?" Yuffie asked, "at the rate things are going wrong, we'll have to start a list."

"I've already got a list," said Leon.

"I don't know what's wrong," said King Mickey as he kept pacing, "but every fiber of my being tells me that something has happened, something terrible."

"Gwarsh," said Goofy, "it must be something awful to make The King that unsteady."

"That's 'upset,' ya big palooka!" said an annoyed Donald.

"Oh, Mickey," said a worried Queen Minnie.

At that point a brown-feathered hawk flew onto the balcony ledge and morphed into Lara Dunbar, "thought you all should know that Snow White's made a full recovery."

"That's wonderful," said Queen Minnie, "but what of Cinderella, Belle and Jasmine?"

"They're still getting weaker," said Lara, "Sora and the others had better hurry and find the last three powers soon. At this rate, the Princesses could be in serious trouble, unless…"

"Unless what?" Quistis asked.

"Unless, as my grandmother said, 'extreme measures are taken,'" said Lara.

"What kind of extreme measures?" King Mickey asked, "what did Sylvia say?"

"The same thing she's talking about with Merlin, Yen Sid and Professor Von Drake," said Lara, "if Sora and the others take much longer with their search, we may have to put Cinderella and the others in suspended animation."

"You mean like an enchanted sleep?" Yuffie asked.

"More or less," said Lara, "but we won't need a prince to kiss and wake them up, we hope. But we're hoping that it won't come to that."

"I hope so too," said The King as he looked up at the stars, "guys, that terrible feeling I've been having, it may have something to do with Sora and the others."

"Could they be in trouble?" The Queen asked.

"Ah, they're always in trouble," said Donald.

"But they always get out in the end," said Goofy.

"This is different," said King Mickey, "it's a kind of trouble that'll affect us all." He shook his head about as if trying to clear it, "I don't know, maybe I'm just imagining things."

"Or maybe you've been neglecting mealtimes again," said an annoyed Queen Minnie, "you've missed breakfast and lunch today."

"I don't have time to sit down and eat with everyone else," said King Mickey, "there's just way too much to do." He then pulled out a granola bar from his pocket.

"Oh, no you don't!" said Queen Minnie, "there's no way you're missing supper! You're coming with me to the kitchen this instant, Mickey Mouse! You're going to sit down and have a square meal if I have to stuff it down your throat, and you'll like it too!" At that she grabbed King Mickey by the wrists and dragged him back inside, much to his verbal protest.

"Somebody's sleeping in the doghouse tonight," teased Yuffie.

"Gwarsh, you think Pluto's got enough room in his house?" Goofy asked, at which everyone laughed sans Donald, whom sighed with annoyance.

Just then Nessie ran onto the balcony with enough velocity to drag a massive blast of displaced air behind her, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.

"Good grief, Nessie!" said Yuffie as she and the others recovered their balance.

"Sorry, everyone," said Nessie, "but this couldn't wait, not even a millisecond. I just got a call from Aunt Alice. Something terrible has happened and it's going to tear Sora and the others apart on the inside when they find out about it."

"What's this now?" Leon asked.

"What happened that's gonna hurt Sora and the others so bad?" Quistis asked.

"Uh…Aunt Alice wasn't so clear about that part," said Nessie, "but a decision has been made, one that could destroy not only Sora, but all of us."

"Remind me to never take The King's instincts for granted again," said Yuffie in a subdued tone as Leon and the others looked equally disturbed.


	2. Chapter 1: The Drowned Utopia

**Kingdom Hearts: Path Of The Keyblade Wielder**

**Volume 9: Escape From Rapture**

**By AndrewK9000**

**Chapter 1: The Drowned Utopia**

"Malcolm? Malcolm!"

"Huh?" Malcolm asked as he snapped out of his train of deep thought, "uh…oh, sorry, everyone."

"You were really out to lunch," said Sora, "and it's only 8:30."

"Ship time it's 0836 hours," said Sidney as she, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess and Malcolm stood on the bridge of _The Intrepid Heart_, "yet according to my scans of the atmosphere and of the local start coordinates, we've arrived approximately in the year 1960 A.D, in dimension C-359."

"Right in the middle of the Cold War," said Kairi as she and the others looked at the view screen of Earth below. Currently the ship was in stationary orbit above the North Atlantic Ocean.

"On one side, capitalism, democracy and the American Dream," said Riku as he looked at the North American continent. He then looked towards Eastern Europe and Asia, "while on the other, communism and Mother Russia."

"Hard to believe that our world came so close to destroying itself over something so stupid," said Kairi, "and our world is still fighting over stupid things."

"People are stupid, no matter what world you're on," said Tess.

"Well, let's hope we can keep this world from blowing up while we're here," said Sora.

"And no sign of Columbina," said Aiden, "and no sign of Rapture either. Just where is this underwater city?"

"Underwater, obviously," said a somewhat annoyed Malcolm, "from what I know of Rapture, it was especially built underwater so no one could find it."

"But we have to," said Kairi, "the next missing power is somewhere in Rapture."

"Well, considering that the world's surface is almost 71% water," said Sidney, "I'd say we have a lot of…" but then her holographic image flickered and destabilized for a second, "a lot of…a lot of…"

"Uh…Sidney?" a concerned Sora asked as he and the others looked at their holographic friend, "are you alright?"

"a lot of…a lot of…erk…ausu…lololol…" sputtered Sidney before her image solidified again, "oh, sorry, everyone. I must have glitched up a bit there."

"I'll say you did," remarked Aiden.

"What happened?" Kairi asked.

"Hang on while I run a diagnosis," said Sidney. She then closed her holographic eyes for a few seconds, then looked at Sora and the others, "it seems I was hit by an intense burst of solar radiation."

"You mean you got fried like metal in a microwave?" Sora asked.

"Something like that," said Sidney, "I had to raise shields to protect my internal circuitry and software, so I shouldn't glitch up again anytime soon."

"But if the shields are up, we can't use the transporter," said Kairi, "how can we beam down to Rapture? Assuming we find it first."

"We could land the ship," said Sora.

"And get picked up by the primitive but still effective radar systems of this time period?" Sidney asked, "and even if we avoid detection, the last thing you lot need is to be wandering around in the middle of a primitive culture."

"She's right," said Riku, "we just wouldn't fit in down there."

"Riku, I've been to so many worlds I haven't fit in, I've lost count," said Sora.

"But this is different," said Kairi, "yes, this is like our world but over fifty years in the past. Even if we tried our best to blend in; wear outfits and hairstyles of the time, use slang terms of the time, disguise our technology and use our Keyblades as little as possible, people would notice that we were different."

"It's not like we could just walk up to your average man on the street and ask about a hidden city on the bottom of the ocean," said Malcolm as he looked at a copy of Alice's drawing of Rapture. "Wait a minute, wait just a minute. There's a lighthouse."

"A lighthouse?" Sora asked as he and the others clustered around Malcolm and looked at the drawing. Malcolm was pointing to a spot on the upper left corner where a drawing within the overall drawing could be seen.

"It is a lighthouse," said Riku, "but in the middle of the ocean. Why would Alice draw that?"

"As a clue, of course," said a widely smiling Kairi, "Sidney, scan the ocean surface for anything out of the ordinary."

"If by out of the ordinary you mean a lighthouse where there shouldn't be one, I'm on it," said Sidney. Two seconds later she spoke, "I've got it!"

The view screen then zoomed in on the North Atlantic a few hundred kilometers from the coast of Iceland.

"There!" said Sidney as she pointed at the screen as a grid superimposed over the image with a blinking red dot, "right there, 63° N, 32° W." The image zoomed in again, revealing a small rocky island upon which was a single structure.

"A lighthouse where there shouldn't be one," said Malcolm, "I remember now. The traveler who told me about Rapture said that there was only two ways to enter the city; submarine or via a bathysphere docked in 'The Lighthouse.'"

"There was a bathysphere there but not now," said Sidney, "my sensors are detecting a large power generator on that island but it is offline. Also, I'm picking up a slight temperature difference in the water in the general area of the lighthouse, as well as a deviation in the normal ocean currents. There's something down there, alright, something big."

"Like an underwater city?" Sora asked hopefully.

"Whatever it is," said Aiden as he looked at the scanner readout, "it's putting out a lot of heat, like they're sitting on a volcano or something."

"This is all just speculation," said Riku, "we'll never find that missing power if we just sit here in orbit. We've got to get down there."

"Well, it's not like we could just rent a submarine," said Tess, "unless we can."

"I doubt we could find a submarine rental in 1960," said Kairi.

"Why not take _The Intrepid Heart _down there?" Malcolm asked.

"It's a starship, not a sub," said Tess.

"Actually," said Sidney, "I, that is, _The Intrepid Heart_, can be both if needed."

"You mean you can go underwater?" an astonished Sora asked.

"It's feasibly possible," said Sidney, "my upgraded shields and armor should be strong enough to withstand the intense pressure of the ocean floor."

"And when were you planning on telling us this?" Tess asked in a mildly annoyed tone.

"It never came up before," said Sidney.

"So, we'll just dive into the ocean and go down to Rapture," said Sora.

"We still have to get through the atmosphere," said Riku, "what if we're seen on someone's radar screen? Or seen with the naked eye?"

"I'll just remodulate the shields to deflect radar detection," said Sidney, "as for some poor bloke seeing us; we'll be diving so fast that if we're spotted, they'll think we're a weather balloon or a UFO."

"If we're going that fast, won't the speed kill us or something?" Aiden asked.

"That's what inertia dampeners are for," said Sidney as she gave Aiden a reassuring smile.

"I fail to find any flaw in your logic," said Malcolm.

"Of course you don't," said Sidney, "being practically perfect is what a Supercalifragilisticexpialidociousartificial intelligence does best."

* * *

A few minutes later our heroes and Sidney were ready. _The Intrepid Heart _descended through the atmosphere, her shields protecting Sora and the others from the intense heat and turbulence from reentry. Once in the lower atmosphere, it was a smooth and controlled drop into the ocean that when _The Intrepid Heart _hit the water, they barely felt the impact.

"Welcome to Earth C-359," said Sidney once the ship was underwater and began descending, "time to the bottom…ten minutes."

Our heroes went to the viewports and looked out at the growing gloominess as _The Intrepid Heart _sunk beneath the reach of sunlight from above. The ship's exterior lights illuminated the various sea life going about its business.

"Look at all the fish!" said Tess as she looked out in amazement, "and I think I just saw a whale!"

"You've never been underwater, have you," said Riku.

"I never had much time to go swimming," said Tess, "but as soon as we get back to our world, I'm going diving."

It wasn't long before they reach the ocean bottom and began moving about. "Well," said Sora, "we're here, but where's Rapture?"

"Nothing but sand and rock outcroppings all around," said Malcolm, "but this is where Rapture should be."

"Are you sure we got the right dimension?" Aiden asked.

"Hold that thought!" said Sidney, "that thermal spike I picked up from orbit, we're getting close, very close, like just over that ridge ahead."

"Then let's cross that ridge," said Sora.

"Alright," said Aiden, "but if we get there and find only a volcano vent or something like that, I'll be very disappointed."

"Fair enough," said Malcolm.

_The Intrepid Heart _advanced up over the underwater ridge. Upon cresting the ridge, Sora and the others were struck awed by the sight of a massive underwater metropolis of metal, glass and neon lights.

"Holy shitake mushrooms," said Kairi as they took in the sights of the city that was Rapture.

"How'd they do all this?" Aiden asked, "how'd they build skyscrapers underwater? And where'd they get the electricity?"

"Geothermal," said Sidney, "that heat spike was a volcanic vent that they must be tapping into, a very efficient and environmentally friendly system if I say so."

"Okay, we've found Rapture," said Aiden, "now what?"

"I guess we now look for a way in," said Sora.

"Can you beam us inside the city, Sidney?" Kairi asked, "we're so deep underwater, so the solar radiation shouldn't be a problem."

"It isn't," said Sidney, "but I'm afraid we have another. I'm now picking up a subspace disturbance in the general area around Rapture, a weakening in the fabric of reality. It's as if someone forced an opening between this dimension and another, then did a horrible job patching the hole up and left a whole mess of energy disturbances. In short, I wouldn't risk the transporter, unless you all want to materialize with all your assorted good and plenty on the outside."

"You mean we could end up turned inside out if we use the transporter?" Sora asked in a disgusted tone, while Kairi and the others looked equally nauseated.

"In a nutshell," said Sidney, "so unless you all have another idea on how to get inside a watertight underwater city, I suggest you help me look for an airlock hatch or something similar."

"That's as good a plan as any," said Riku.

"Have you noticed anything odd about Rapture?" Kairi asked as the ship cruised over the underwater metropolis.

"Odd how?" Tess asked, "Unless you count for the fact that it's underwater."

"I mean how some of the buildings look ready to fall apart," said Kairi, "if I were to build an underwater city, I'd do everything in my power to make sure it's taken care of."

"She's right," said Sidney, "I'm picking up signs of serious neglect; microscopic cracks in the metal and glasswork, not to mention minor and moderate flooding in some buildings. Entire connecting passageways have collapsed and been sealed off, while some sections of the city are without electricity."

"No subs," said Riku, "that lighthouse had a bathysphere station, so there'd be more in the city. But there's no traffic of subs, bathyspheres or anything."

"Maybe they don't need them and that one bathysphere is like an escape pod or something," said Sora.

"What about people," said Kairi, "there should be people here."

"I am picking up scattered life signs in the city," said Sidney, "some human, some…not quite human."

"What does that mean?" Malcolm asked.

"Just that," said Sidney, "they're human and yet not human. It's as if they were human but have become something…else."

"Uh…Sidney? You're not making a lot of sense here," said Sora.

"A lot of what's going on isn't making sense," said Riku, "something strange is happening in Rapture."

"Then I think it's time we got some answers," said Kairi, "let's see if anyone's home."

"I'll send out a standard hail over standard radio frequencies," said Sidney. She then blinked and frowned slightly, "odd…someone's trying to hail us over the radio."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense," said Aiden, "let's hear it."

A heartbeat later the sound of static and a garbled voice could be heard over the ship's speakers.

"Hold on," said Sidney as she closed her eyes in concentration, "I'll try to clear it up."

"Wait, I almost heard something!" said Sora as he rushed to the communications terminal, "I thought I heard the word 'Rapture.'" He then pressed the button to allow him to speak on the radio, "hello? We heard you but not clearly. Try again, please!"

After some more static and electrical noise, our heroes were rewarded by the voice of an eastern European woman, _"whoever you are in the unidentified vessel, if you've come seeking treasure or adventure, you'll find nothing but death in Rapture."_

"Uh…not exactly the warm welcome we were expecting," said Aiden in an uncomfortable tone.

"Since when have we ever gotten an expected warm welcome?" Riku asked.

"Good point," said Sora. He then pressed the respond button on the radio, "uh…we're not here for treasure."

"But there is something in Rapture that we need to find," said Kairi into the microphone, "something a dear friend of ours desperately needs."

"It's a matter of life and death!" said Tess in an urgent manner.

"I think she got the point," said Riku.

"_If you value your lives and sanity,"_ said the woman on the other end of the radio, _"you should go back to wherever you came from and forget you ever heard of this accursed place. Rapture is a city of murder and madness where only the damned and deformed thrive."_

"We wouldn't be here if this weren't an emergency, said Kairi, "our friend's life is on the line and what we need is in Rapture. If you can help us, great, but if not, we're still coming in."

"We're not thieves," said Malcolm, "but if anyone tries to stop us from getting what we need, they'll find that we're no pushovers."

"On the other hand," said Riku, "if you're in need of help, we'll be more than happy to lend a hand. We've detected abnormal life signs in the city. If you're under some kind of attack, we can help."

_"The situation is more complicated than that,"_ said the woman, _"but, if you are indeed serious about entering Rapture, then you will need my help. I'll send some of my people to meet you at Airlock 19 and they'll escort you through the city to my location."_

"Thank you," said Kairi, "this means a lot to us."

"What's your name, by the way?" Tess asked.

_"This is Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum,"_ said the woman, _"and I wish I could offer a warmer welcome to Rapture."_

"We've had colder receptions," said Riku, "see you soon."

"We hope," said Aiden.

_"Hope,"_ said the woman, Dr. Tenenbaum, _"that is a rare thing in Rapture indeed."_

"Well," said Tess as the call ended, "that was…strange."

"To say the least," said Kairi, "did you hear how she talked? It's as if she's forgotten what hope is."

"Then it's a good thing we're here," said Sora, "to turn despair back into hope."

"You'll get plenty of despair turning soon enough," said Sidney, "I'm picking up a homing beacon." One of the computer screens showed a display of the city, with one section having a blinking red dot.

"It's on an airlock," said Sidney, "I think someone's left the light on for us."

"Then let's not keep them waiting," said Kairi.

* * *

_The Intrepid Heart _cruised across the city, following the beacon to the designated airlock. One precise set of maneuvering later found the ship docked with the airlock.

"Just have to wait for the pressure to equalize and we can open the door from this end," said Sidney as our heroes waited at the hatch, "now, I don't have to tell you guys to be careful, but I'll say it anyway. Be careful, be very careful."

"We will, Sidney," said Sora.

"I mean it," said Sidney in a serious tone, "be very careful. I may be a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious computer program, but I have a bad feeling about this place."

"I feel it too, Sidney," said Kairi, "and we will be careful."

"In that case, good luck," said Sidney as she gave our heroes a reassuring smile, while a light on the hatch lit green and the door opened, revealing the airlock door on the other side that slid open. The airlock chamber was sparse metal with a large metal door secured with a wheel lock.

"Anyone want to back out, now's the time," said Riku.

"You gotta be kidding me," said Aiden, "since when have we ever backed out of a mission?" He then pressed his wrists, "alright, let's do this!" he then walked into the airlock chamber, followed by Sora, Riku, Kairi, Tess and Malcolm.

"Call me the instant you feel you need pickup," said Sidney, "I'll find a way around the energy distortions to beam you out if there's an emergency."

"Thanks, Sidney," said Sora as the airlock door slid close, "see you soon."

With a metal KLANG and a hiss of pressurized air, the outer door sealed shut. A few seconds later the wheel lock on the inner door spun and the door slid open. On the other side were six individuals, all teenagers, all wearing slightly ragged clothes and all armed with lethal weapons.

"You the ones Dr. T. told us to meet?" one of the teenagers, a girl, asked. She was about seventeen with short, dark brown hair and coal black eyes. She was armed with a Thompson machine gun and a revolver modified to hold four times the usual number of rounds.

"We're here, aren't we?" Tess asked, "you the reception committee?"

"More or less," said the girl, "I'm Chrissie Chesterton. Welcome to Hell under Earth."

"Charmed," said Riku dryly.

Our heroes took their first true steps into Rapture, introducing themselves to Chrissie Chesterton and the others with her, two more girls and three boys.

The first boy was about sixteen with black hair, brown eyes and armed with a shotgun and another modified revolver. His name was Travis Quinn.

Next was Rachael Bachman; age fifteen with dirty blond hair and dark blue eyes. She carried two slightly dented and bloodstained wrenches, one in each hand.

After that was Joshua Samuels; age seventeen with short brown hair and green eyes. He was armed with a makeshift grenade launcher and a flamethrower.

Then there was Calvin and Liza Westing, siblings, he about fifteen and she thirteen. Calvin carried a machine gun and a grenade launcher, while Liza was armed with a crossbow and a modified revolver.

"Now that we know each other's names," said Chrissie as she and her group bade Sora and the others to follow them through a metal corridor, "let's get this over with. Dr. T.'s putting a lot on the line bringing you into Rapture and the others aren't happy you're here."

"I take it strangers aren't exactly welcome in Rapture," said Tess.

"You took it right," said Joshua, "this whole place was built so outsiders wouldn't even know we were here."

"How did you find the city, anyway?" Liza asked.

"A friend of my family told of a wondrous city beneath the waves," said Malcolm, "a place where artists, scientists and free thinkers can live without government and religious restrictions."

"Yeah, that's how it started," said Calvin, "everyone who came to and was born in Rapture knows."

_"'I'm Andrew Ryan,'"_ said Rachael Bachman, quoting from a memorized speech, _"'and I am here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No,' says the man in Washington, 'it belongs to the poor.' 'No,' says the man in the Vatican, 'it belongs to God.' 'No,' says the man in Moscow, 'it belongs to everyone.'_

"' _I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose... __**Rapture**__: A city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, where the great would not be constrained by the small. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city, as well.'"_

"Everyone knows the words of Andrew Ryan," said Chrissie, "everyone knows Ryan's dream of a utopia."

"And everyone knows how Andrew Ryan fucked everything up when he and Atlas went to war," said Joshua.

"What are you talking about?" Aiden asked.

"I think he means this," said Riku. Our heroes and their escorts had reached an area that used to be a thoroughfare for a shopping area. Stores lined the corridors, all of which had smashed windows and spilled and crushed wares, while the floor was strewn with garbage. Here and there were the sad remains of party favors and masks.

"Things were getting bad in Rapture for a while," said Chrissie, "but the hammer really dropped when the fighting started New Years Eve, 1958, and all because neither Ryan nor Atlas would back down."

"Don't forget Plasmids," said Travis, "none of this would have happened if Dr. T. had discovered ADAM and made her Plasmids."

"Dr. T. is the reason we're still alive and sane," said Liza, "if it weren't for her, we'd be six more Splicers."

"Splicers?" a startled Sora asked.

But then they all heard the sound of something metal falling onto the floor.

"Hide!" hissed Chrissie. With that she and her group took cover behind a pile of storage crates, while Sora and the others did the same behind another. Before Sora and the gang could inquire, they all heard the sound of several individuals approaching.

Sora risked a glance above the pile of crates to see two men in ragged clothing, both wearing animal masks, one a rabbit, the other some kind of bird. Both were armed with pistols.

"And so I says to her," said the man in the rabbit mask, "I says to her, 'tell me I'm wrong,' and she says, 'can't baby, 'cause you're not!'"

"You're a liar and a cheater," said the man in the bird mask, "I never did any such thing! You're trying to confuse me!"

"And she says, 'I want a new TV set for my birthday, and I says, 'I'm not made of money, baby! You want a new TV, you get a job!" ranted the man in the bunny mask.

Just then Malcolm accidentally knocked a bottle perched on one of the crates. He tried to catch it but it fell and broke on the floor.

"What was that!?" snapped the man in the bird mask as he and his companions turned towards the sudden noise, "someone hiding? Somebody holding out on ADAM?"

"Sorry," Malcolm whispered to Sora and the others.

"You think if we ask them nicely they'll leave us alone?" Kairi whispered.

But before Sora or the others could respond, Liza popped out from hiding and shot the man in the bird mask in the neck with her crossbow, the bolt piercing through flesh and bone and dropping the man like a stone to the floor.

"You little bitch!" shouted the man in the rabbit mask as he aimed and fired his revolver at Liza, but she ducked the bullets as the man emptied his pistol.

Calvin jumped out from behind the crates while the masked man was reloading. He aimed his left hand at the masked man and shot a bolt of blue lighting, hitting the man and stunning him as electricity coursed through his body.

Rachael then ran up to the stunned man and bashed him on the head with one of her wrenches, killing him instantly.

"Check them," Chrissie ordered, "and stay alert, there could be more nearby." at that Liza, Calvin and Rachael began searching the two bodies.

"What the hell was that?!" exclaimed Kairi as she and the others came out from hiding.

"Survival," said Chrissie in a matter of fact tone.

"What you call survival, I call murder," said an outraged Riku.

"They would have killed us without a second thought," said Calvin as he, Liza and Rachael finished searching the bodies, "not much ammo on them, but here's a few first aid kits." He then tossed said items to Chrissie.

"You just killed two human beings over some first aid kits?" Sora asked.

"Humans?" Joshua asked, "Let me show you outsiders something. Come here." He beckoned our heroes towards the bodies. He bent down and removed the masks, "take a good look at the so called humans. Notice anything odd about them?"

"Other than they're dead?" Aiden asked.

"Their skin," said Tess as she bent down, "they're covered in red welts and growths."

"And the eyes," said Malcolm as he examined closer, "they're the eyes of madmen."

"That's what ADAM does to you if you abuse it," said Chrissie, "it warps you from head to toe, inside and out."

"Just what is going on here?" Sora asked.

"It's a very long story," said Chrissie, "Dr. T. can explain it best, but for now we have to move. Those gunshots will attract more Splicers, and some of them may be armed with more than pistols."

"That thing you did," said Riku to Calvin as the twelve of them hurried through the section of the city, "was that magic or…?"

"There's no such thing as magic," said Calvin, "just science."

"It's a long story," said Chrissie. She then suddenly stopped, "wait!" she then pointed ahead where, at an intersection of corridors, a red sphere of light moved across the floor, accompanied by the sound of mechanical movement.

"I thought we took care of the cameras in this area," said Joshua.

"They must have reset it or something," said Rachael, "either way," she then cracked her knuckles, "I'll have to hack it again."

"We'll cover you," said Travis, "good luck."

"I don't need luck," said Rachael as she gave Travis a reassuring smile, "I was born lucky." With that she hurried forward, paused just beyond the corner and then ducked around it. Sora and the others then heard the sound of metal parts being manipulated.

"Ryan had the whole city wired with Security Cameras," said Cassie to Sora and the others, "you get seen by one, you've got five seconds to get out of sight, or else."

"Or else what?" Kairi asked.

"You'll find out soon enough if they keep resetting," said Travis.

Just then the red circle on the floor turned green and Rachael walked back to the group, a look of smug satisfaction on her face, "Another camera converted to the righteous resistance."

Sora and the others walked around the corner and saw the Security Camera scanning the intersection, its lens glowing green as it searched for intruders.

"Can it see us?" Riku asked.

"Yes and no," said Cassie, "it works for us now."

"If it sees a Splicer, it'll summon Security and perforate the bastards," said Rachael, "let's just hope we don't run into any new Security Turrets, those can be even more a pain in the ass than Splicers."

"Speaking of which," said Liza in a serious tone, "you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Riku asked.

"Pheromones," said Calvin, "we've got to get out of here! Now!"

"What the hell is going on?!" Tess demanded, "what pheromones?"

Just then our heroes heard the sound of several rapidly approaching individuals.

"Splicers!" shouted Travis, "they're right behind us!

"Then let's keep moving for crying out loud!" exclaimed Aiden as he ran ahead and turned left out of sight.

"Wait don't!" shouted Joshua, but his warning came too late as Sora and the others heard a hail of machinegun fire.

**The End of Chapter 1.**

_Next chapter finds our heroes experiencing more of Rapture than they asked for, and then some. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	3. Chapter 2: Splicers & Big Daddies

_Last time found our heroes arriving at the underwater dystopia that is Rapture in search of the next missing power. Sora and the gang made contact with one Dr. Bridig Tanenbaum and her group of survivors in order to safely navigate the war-ravaged city, only to discover that the true horrors had only just begun. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 2: Splicers &amp; Big Daddies**

Just then our heroes heard the sound of several rapidly approaching individuals.

"Splicers!" shouted Travis, "they're right behind us!

"Then let's keep moving for crying out loud!" exclaimed Aiden as he ran ahead and turned left out of sight.

"Wait don't!" shouted Joshua, but his warning came too late as Sora and the others heard a hail of machinegun fire.

"Aiden!" shouted Sora, followed by the sound of an explosion ahead. Our heroes and new allies rushed towards the blast and saw a slightly out of breath Aiden standing next to the wreckage of what looked like a .50 machinegun, a chair and a motion detector.

"You okay, man?" Malcolm asked.

"I…I…I…" panted Aiden, "that…what was that?"

"Machinegun Turret," said Cassie, "it senses any unfriendlies, it perforates."

"Aiden, you're bleeding!" said Kairi as she walked over to Aiden, seeing two bullet holes in his left forearm.

"I…that thing shot at me," said Aiden, "I transmuted and…and…" but then the rush of adrenaline wore off and he winced in pain, "Gods damn it! Why does getting shot hurt so much!"

"There are worse places to get shot in," said Joshua as he pulled out a first aid kit, "a friend of mine, he was shot in the kneecap. I swear, he wouldn't stop screaming until I knocked him out."

"I got this," said Kairi. She then used her healing power on Aiden, stopping the bleeding, yet not fully closing them.

"What the…what kind of Plasmid was that?!" Chrissie exclaimed, while her friends looked on with astonished eyes.

"It's not a Plasmid; it's magic," said Kairi as she looked at Aiden's wounds, "but they should have been fully healed."

"Oh please, there's no such thing as magic," said Liza, "only science."

"You'd be surprised," said Aiden, "so, what happened, Kairi?"

"I don't know," said Kairi as she tried to finish healing Aiden's wounds, "something's wrong, something's very wrong."

"At least it doesn't hurt anymore," said Aiden, "I'll just drown a Potion and," he then checked his pockets, "oh…I think I'm out. Sora, can you toss me one?"

"I think I'm out too," said Sora as he checked his pockets.

"Me too," said a worried Kairi as she checked her pockets, "I was sure we stocked up the last time we saw a Moogle."

"We all did," said Riku as he and Malcolm checked his pockets.

"I'm sure I had plenty left after Banoi," said Sora.

"Me too," said Aiden, "Tess, are your pockets empty?"

"Uh…yes," said Tess sheepishly.

At that Riku looked at Tess in a suspicious manner, "Tess, what are you hiding?"

"Well," said Tess, "you know how bad everyone was feeling after we left Banoi, and how all those survivors were feeling when their world was destroyed, and how bad things were going to get on Metamore, what with Phobos's curse and all."

"What did you do, Tess?" Kairi asked.

"I…kinda took everyone's healing items and gave them to Elyon to give to the survivors," said Tess.

"You picked our pockets?!" Malcolm exclaimed, "How?! When!? How? Seriously, how? My pockets have an anti-theft charm."

"It doesn't matter how," said Riku, "it's why; Why, Tess?"

"There were a lot of suffering people!" said Tess, "not just from injuries from the fighting, and we all checked that no one was bitten. But there were a lot of broken bones and internal injuries, not to mention dehydrated and malnourished children. Anna…"

"Of course, Anna," said Aiden, "I'll bet she insisted."

"She did," said Tess, "I'm sorry, everyone, but from my point of view, those people needed our items more than we did. I figured we could always stock up the next time we come across a Moogle."

"I don't see a Moogle and Aiden's still hurt," said Kairi.

"I'm sorry!" said Tess irately, "I didn't know one of us would get shot so soon afterwards, but I'm not sorry I did it!"

"We're not mad that you did it," said Riku, "just that you did it without telling us."

"I didn't understand half of what you all just said," remarked Joshua, "but it's that kind of altruism that Ryan hated so much, he built Rapture."

"That was then," said Chrissie as she used a first aid kit to apply antiseptics and bandage Aiden's arm, "this is now. It's either help each other or stand alone."

"My thoughts exactly," said Tess, "so, what happened to your friend who got shot in the knee?"

"He's still alive," said Joshua, "at least he was last time I saw him."

"We're not the only group of survivors in Rapture," said Chrissie, "but there's a lot more Splicers than normal humans."

"Less than a hundred sane people left in the city," said Calvin, "Dr. T. included, and she's the one who discovered ADAM in the first place."

"Alright, that does it!" said Tess irately, "we're not taking another step unless someone explains just what the hell ADAM, Plasmids and Splicers are."

"And who is Ryan and Atlas?" Kairi asked, "and why do they hate each other."

"It's a long story," said Chrissie, "Dr. Tenenbaum will explain everything, but we've got to move before more Splicers show up, or worse, a Big Daddy."

"What the hell is a Big Daddy?" Malcolm asked.

"Dr. T. will explain it," said Liza.

At that Tess sat down on the floor, "I'm not moving from this spot until someone tells me something, and don't say that Dr. T. will explain it, because I will no longer accept that excuse."

"Oh, come on!" snapped Chrissie, "this is hardly the time and place to be stubborn."

"She's right, Tess," said Riku, "We can't stay here, this is hostile country."

"Nope," said Tess stubbornly as she cross her arms and looked the other way, "not one inch until we get some exposition."

"There's a bunch of Splicers coming at us from behind!" shouted Joshua, "that explosion made them flinch but they'll be here any second! You must have a death wish or something!"

"I'm still not moving," said Tess.

"You want exposition?" Chrissie asked irately, "alright, you'll get some exposition, but be it on your head if you get us all killed!" She took a calming breath before beginning her tale, "Long story short, Dr. Tenenbaum discovered ADAM from the genetic material of a new species of sea slug."

"ADAM is used to make Plasmids and Gene Tonics," said Rachael, "they can make you stronger, faster, smarter, heal quicker and give you near supernatural-abilities. I can shoot lightning, fire and make Splicers so angry, they attack other Splicers on general principal. Electro Bolt, Incinerate and Enrage"

Just then our heroes and new allies saw half a dozen Splicers running up towards them from behind, but Travis froze three, knocked two back with a burst of wind and sent the last hurtling towards the ceiling with a summoned tornado.

"I've got Winter's Blast, Sonic Boom and Cyclone Trap," said Travis.

"Okay, now we can move," said an impressed Tess as she stood up, "but please, continue."

"We all have Plasmids," said Calvin, while Liza, Joshua and Chrissie nodded in agreement as everyone hurried through the corridors.

"So…does that make you guys Splicers?" Sora asked hesitantly.

"No," said Chrissie coldly, "not yet anyway."

"Those things out there," said Joshua, "they used to be people, before they took too much ADAM and EVE, that's the stuff you use to recharge your Plasmid abilities. They too so much it warped their minds and bodies."

"As if a bunch of Plasmid addicts was a big enough problem in Rapture," said Rachael, "there was the war between Ryan and Atlas."

"Who is Atlas?" Riku asked.

"No one knows who he is or where he came from," said Chrissie, "but one thing's for sure, he's very altruistic and wants things to be fair and square in Rapture, or so he says. He keeps telling his followers that he will change the laws of the city to allow more social welfare and better treatment for the poor and unemployed, while Ryan says that capitalism is the law of Rapture and it's everyone for themselves."

"All part of his so called Great Chain," said Travis.

"'_I believe in no God, no invisible man in the sky,'" _quoted Liza,_ "'But there is something more powerful than each of us, a combination of our efforts, a Great Chain of industry that unites us. But it is only when we struggle in our own interest that the chain pulls society in the right direction. The chain is too powerful and too mysterious for any government to guide. Any man who tells you different either has his hand in your pocket, or a pistol to your neck._"

"A capitalist by another name," said Aiden.

"Exactly," said Liza.

At that point they came to a wide area that used to be another block of stores.

"Let's catch our breath here," said Chrissie, "check for supplies and watch for Splicers."

"There's a Circus of Value there!" said Travis as he spotted a vending machine that had a clown theme.

"I got it!" said Rachael as she rushed over to the vending machine, opened a side panel and began manipulating the inner workings. After a few seconds she stepped back, a satisfied look on her face as she popped a few coins into the machine, twisted a few knobs and out popped a few cans of fruit.

"Why don't you just smash it open?" Kairi asked as she and the others watched Chrissie and her group purchase supplies at a discount.

"And trigger an alarm that'll bring down Security and attract who knows how many Splicers?" Travis asked, "I don't think so."

"We had a friend who tried to break open an Ammo Bandit machine," said Travis, "you could fit what was left of him into a shoebox."

"Why?" Kairi asked, "why is there so much death and destruction in Rapture? I thought it was supposed to be a utopia."

"It was, for a while," said Joshua, "but then everything really went to hell when Atlas's forces rose up New Years Eve, 1958. A lot of people were killed during the initial fighting, the Splicers finished off most of the rest."

"Now there's only a handful of us sane humans left," said Chrissie, "everyone else is either a Splicer or was already crazy."

"Like Atlas and Ryan," said Calvin, "wait, did you feel that?"

Sora and the others did feel a slight vibration in the floor, followed by what sounded like a whale groan.

"Big Daddy!" exclaimed Liza as the vibration grew in intensity, followed by a loud stomping, "hide!" At that they all took cover behind whatever they could find.

"You wanted to know what a Big Daddy was?" Cassie whispered to Tess as the stomping and whale groaning grew louder, "here it is."

Tess and the others carefully looked and saw what appeared to be a man in a large, heavy diving suit with an enormous spiral drill for a right arm. The helmet of the diving suit had numerous glowing eye ports, while the entire suit had a slight rusted hue about it.

"Bouncer type," whispered Travis as the Big Daddy walked towards a nearby air vent in the wall, "Rosies have two hands but carry rivet guns and grenades."

"Is it dangerous?" Malcolm asked.

"Only if you attack it or get in its way," whispered Joshua, "or mess with its Little Sister."

Before Malcolm or the others could inquire further, they saw the Big Daddy stop in front of the air vent and pound on it with its left hand. After a few seconds, a small girl wearing a ragged dress, pale skin, glowing yellow eyes and carrying a red syringe-like device, crawled out of the vent. The Big Daddy helped the girl to the floor and they both began walking away.

"Come on, Mr. Bubbles," said the girl in a cheerful, distorted voice, "let's go find some angels!" At that the Big Daddy groaned in response as they walked out of the area.

"Thank goodness there aren't any Splicers nearby," said a relieved Travis, while Chrissie and the others sighed, "those bastards will go after any Little Sister they can find, regardless of how many are killed by Big Daddies."

"Why would they go after that child?" a shocked Kairi asked.

"And why did that little girl look like she was some kind of demon or something?" Aiden asked.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait until you meet with Dr. Tenenbaum," said Chrissie, "she's the only one who can truly explain things."

"You must really trust Dr. Tenenbaum," said Sora as they stood up and continued on their way.

"We'd all either be dead or Splicers if it weren't for her," said Joshua, "she stopped us from becoming ADAM addicts."

"But she's the one who discovered ADAM, right?" Riku asked, "so why are you following her?"

"Because out of the insanity that Rapture has become," said Chrissie, "Dr. Tenenbaum is the sanest one left. You people are something else, you know that?"

"What are you implying?" Malcolm asked.

"You come here from who knows where," said Chrissie, "seeking God knows what and not only do you have abilities similar to Plasmids and Gene Tonics, you've still have your souls."

"How do you know we have abilities?" Kairi asked, "other than my healing Aiden and his Alchemy."

"ADAM can make you smarter if you use it right," said Travis, "you're not quite human yourselves."

"They're not even from around here," said Rachael, "and I don't mean from the surface. They're from another world."

"How'd you figure that out?" Sora asked, "and how'd you know about other worlds?"

"A lot of scientists came to Rapture to work," said Calvin as he and Liza stood together, "Our parents worked on a project to open a portal to a parallel universe. It didn't work out and they disappeared just after Liza's first birthday."

"You mean…?" Kairi asked.

"Yep," said Liza as she gave an ironic smile, "I'm one of the first and only generation born and bred in Rapture. I've never seen the sun, the stars or the sky. I've only seen birds and mammals in books and pictures, unless you count whales."

"The only trees she's seen are the ones in the parks at Arcadia," said Calvin.

"The rest of us came to Rapture when we were very young," said Joshua, "before Ryan stopped all contact with the surface. I barely remember what sunlight looks and feels like."

"I remember the sun," said Rachael, "I remember trees and flowers, at least I think I do."

"The wind, I remember the wind," said Travis, "and rain, and snow."

"You've never seen snow," said Joshua, "your family came from Florida, wherever that is."

"My family lived in Florida but we sometimes went north," insisted Travis, "I did see snow and ice."

"I sometimes dream about the moon and stars," said Chrissie. She then looked at Tess and Kairi, "are there stars where you come from?"

"More stars than you can count," said Tess.

"If you want, we can get you out of here after we're done," said Kairi, "we can take you to the surface, or back to our world."

"You mean it?" Chrissie asked in a hopeful tone, while her friends also looked hopeful, "we can leave this rusting scrapheap of a city?"

"We can take you and as many survivors as our ship can carry," said Sora, "and our ship can carry a lot of people."

"We'll have to dump out a lot of junk," said Aiden, "but we'll make do."

"Yeah, we can toss out your comic book collection," teased Tess.

"Touch my comic books and you die!" exclaimed Aiden, "it took me forever to arrange a delivery service with the Moogles."

"What's a Moogle?" Liza asked.

Before Sora could respond, he and the others heard more stomping and whale groaning.

"Hide!" exclaimed Joshua as our heroes and allies took cover, just as a Little Sister and a Big Daddy walked into the area.

"Is it the same ones as before?" Riku whispered as they watched the sinister pair approach two nearby dead Splicers.

"No, this one's a Rosie," whispered Joshua, "see the rivet gun it's carrying?"

"Oh, yeah," said Sora as he saw that the Big Daddy was indeed carrying an enormous rivet gun.

"Look, Mr. B!" exclaimed the Little Sister happily, "two angels for the price of one!" she joyfully skipped over to the two dead Splicers and stabbed one in the stomach with her syringe gun.

"What is she doing?" a horrified and disgusted Tess whispered as she and the others witnessed the Little Sister drink the fluids she extracted from the corpse.

"Harvesting ADAM from the dead," said Calvin, "the ADAM slugs are nearly extinct, so to make ADAM supplies last, the Little Sisters gather unused ADAM from the dearly departed."

"This is wrong," said an outraged Kairi as the Little Sister walked over to the other dead Splicer and extracted its unused ADAM, "this is so wrong. Little girls should be doing things like this." She stood up and walked towards the sinister pair.

"No! Don't!" hissed Chrissie, but she was too late as Kairi approached the Little Sister but stopped before getting too close.

But then there was a loud report of gunfire as three Splicers appeared from hiding and shot at the Big Daddy. The creature's many eyes turned red, stomped one foot on the floor and hissed steam as it picked up the Little Sister.

"Get them, Mr. B!" shouted the Little Sister as the Big Daddy shot rivets at the attacking Splicers.

"I told you we should have brought dynamite!" shouted one of the Splicers as he and his mad comrades took cover.

"I wanted to but the dynamite wouldn't let me touch it!" shouted another, just before being shot in the head by a rivet. It fell to the floor, dead.

"Idiot!" shouted the third Splicer, "he zigged when he should have zagged!" he then aimed his hand at the Big Daddy and shot a bolt of lightning at the metal creature. It groaned in pain as electricity coursed through its body.

"Get it!" shouted the first Splicer as he pulled out a grenade launcher and fired at the Big Daddy, damaging it.

"No!" shouted Kairi as she summoned her Keyblade, rushed at the first Splicer and bashed him on the head, dropping the drug addled lunatic like a fly.

"I should have stayed in Sunday School!" said the now terrified third Splicer as he turned and ran.

The Big Daddy tossed a blinking yellow device ahead of the fleeing Splicer. The device stuck to the floor and exploded when the Splicer got too close, the blast knocking the lunatic back towards the metal creature.

"What…no…no!" cried the Splicer as the Big Daddy stomped up and crushed his head.

"Nice going, Mr. B!" exclaimed the Little Sister happily as the Big Daddy's eyes turned yellow and it placed her on the floor again. "You brought me more ADAM, you're the best, Mr. Bubbles!" The childlike creature then skipped up to one of the recently dead Splicers and stabbed it in the abdomen

"Hey, little girl," said Kairi in a cautious tone as she walked up to the Little Sister, "where's your mom and dad?"

"Look, Mr. Bubbles!" said the Little Sister as she looked up at Kairi with her glowing yellow eyes, "it's another angel, but this one's still breathing! Look how bright she shines!"

At that the Big Daddy groaned menacingly as it stomped towards Kairi, its many yellow eyes briefly flashing red a few times.

"What's it doing?" a worried Sora asked.

"Determining if Kairi's a threat," said Travis, "Big Daddies will react to any threat to a Little Sister.

"Don't move, Kairi!" shouted Chrissie as she and the others stood up, "if you value your life, don't move."

"I'm not doing anything," said Kairi as she stared back at the Big Daddy.

"Then keep doing nothing," said Calvin.

"Those things are as inhuman as Splicers," said Joshua, "they'll die to defend a Little Sister."

"I'm not doing anything," said Kairi to the Big Daddy, "I helped you! If you can understand me, understand that I saved your life and the life of that child," she then looked at the Little Sister, "and she shouldn't even be in this situation, and…Oh My God! Where are your shoes?!"

At that Sora and the others realized that the Little Sister was indeed barefoot, and walking on broken glass no less. Yet the childlike creature didn't even realize she was standing on the glass, nor was she bleeding.

"You're pretty but boring," said the Little Sister. She then looked at the Big Daddy and yawned, "time to go to sleep, Mr. Bubbles." With that she and the Big Daddy walked out of the area.

"Wait!" shouted Kairi as she started after the sinister pair.

"Don't!" said Chrissie as she and the others hurried up to Kairi, with Chrissie placing a warning hand on Kairi's shoulder, "just don't."

"There's nothing you can do to help her," said Travis, "the Little Sisters, they've all lost their humanity."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" said Kairi as she shook off Chrissie's hand and ran after the Little Sister and Big Daddy.

"She's gonna get herself killed!" shouted Liza as she and the others ran after Kairi.

"Give Kairi some credit," said Tess, "she's stronger than she looks."

"Even so, going toe to toe with a Big Daddy with a Little Sister is halfway to suicide!" said Rachael.

"But they can be destroyed," said Riku, "I mean, if you have to fight them, can they be destroyed?"

"Only with the right kind of firepower," said Chrissie as she loaded her machinegun with armor piercing bullets, "they're weak against electricity, while freezing slows them down."

"Fire hurts them but also makes them even madder," said Joshua as he took out the napalm tank on his chemical thrower and replaced it with a tank full of liquid nitrogen, "so does explosives."

"The best thing you can do is keep your distance and wear it down," said Travis, "but don't stay in one place. Keep moving; Rosies throw grenades and proximity bombs."

"And whatever you do, don't let it get close," said Rachael, "a Bouncer will use its drill to run you through, while a Rosie will just smash your head in with its rivet gun."

"Right, keep away and moving," said Sora, "don't get too close or blown up."

"Or shot," said Aiden.

They soon caught up with Kairi, whom was trying to reach into an air vent that was too small for her to crawl into. She cried out with frustration as she tried fruitlessly to gain access.

"Kairi!" said Sora.

"Sora," said Kairi in a defeated tone as she walked away from the vent, her eyes watering with tears, "that girl, she just climbed into that vent like it was a favorite hiding place. I tried to go after her but…but…"

"It's okay, Kairi," said Sora as he gave her a comforting hug, "it's okay."

"It's not okay," sobbed Kairi, "that was a child, a human child."

"It's not human," Joshua insisted, "what was done to her and so many other little girls can't be undone."

"How do you know!?" snapped Kairi, "did any of you even try?"

"We haven't," said Rachael, "but…I think Dr. T. has been working on something that can."

"Then let's go talk to Dr. T." said Kairi, "oh yeah, I'm going to have a long, long talk with her about Little Sisters."

Just then Sora and the others heard the sound of radio tuning coming from Chrissie's pocket.

"You may get that chance," said Chrissie as she pulled out a small two-way radio from her pocket, "we're here, Dr. T. and we have the newcomers."

But instead of Dr. Tenenbaum's voice, our heroes and allies heard a masculine voice, a man speaking with a refined, slightly accented voice.

"Ah, Chrysanthemum Chesterton," said the male voice, "you and your band of scavengers have been quite the thorn in my side."

"Mr. Ryan," said Chrissie in a tone that barely hid her frustrated anger, "what a surprise. To what do I owe the honor of speaking with the very man whom dreamed up Rapture?'

"There's no honor implied, Ms. Chesterton," said Ryan, "I merely wish to speak with the six young men and women whom dared to trespass where they are not wanted."

"I think he means us," said Tess.

"Ya think?" Aiden asked.

"We're not here to cause trouble, Mr. Ryan," said Sora, "we just want to talk to Dr. Tenenbaum and we'll leave."

"You obviously have come a long way and went through a lot of trouble to find my city, young man," said Ryan, "but not to talk to Brigid Tenenbaum. No, you've come to Rapture looking for something, but what? Is it technology? The secret of Plasmids? Or maybe you're errand runners for an old associate of mine. Are you here on behalf of someone whom wishes to settle accounts? Someone I've wronged in the past? Are you assassins?"

"We just want to take back something that belongs to us!" said Sora, "something from our world that doesn't belong here."

"So you think you can come into my city without an invitation and simply take this object back?" Ryan asked. "That's not how it works, young man. Everything in this city is mine to do with as I please, as is this object you seek. On the other hand, if you wish purchase this item…"

"You want us to pay for something that's already ours?!" Aiden asked, "I'm one who believes in equivalent exchange, but why pay for what's ours to begin with?"

"It's not really ours, Aiden," said Kairi.

"That's right," said Sora, "we only want to return it to its rightful owner."

"Well then," said Ryan, "I like to think of myself as a reasonable man, and if you younglings are equally reasonable, I'm sure we can come to an agreement."

Just then everyone heard a radio squealing from Joshua's pocket. He then pulled out said radio just as a male voice with an Irish accent spoke in an urgent tone.

"Don't listen to that selfish bastard! Whatever price Ryan asks, it's too high!"

"And so the parasite reveals himself at last," said Ryan coldly, "how fare you, Atlas?"

"The only parasite here is the one feeding off of human decency and dignity!" said Atlas, "you take and take from people who only want a fair chance at living."

"Where as you and your predecessor, Frank Fontaine," said Ryan, "you would hand over all of Rapture's wealth and goods to the freeloaders, the looters and scroungers, men and women whom have no grasp of the value of honest labor. You and your fellow parasites would feed off of the sweat of those who earned their living."

"Where as you would exploit the poor and downtrodden!" exclaimed Atlas, "All so you and your elite pigs could live in the lap of luxury!"

"You see what we've got to deal with?" Chrissie said to Sora and the others, "they're the reason there's so few humans left alive and sane in Rapture! They destroyed so much, and they'll destroy you if you let them!"

"I only want the little guy to have a fair chance," said Atlas, "and I'd be more than happy to help the newcomers in their search."

"Don't listen to him, children," said Ryan, "he'll only poison your minds with his propaganda of fairness, equality and altruism, things that have no place in the great chain."

"I'd hang you with your great chain, you fucking bastard!" spat Atlas, "you newcomers, come find me and I'll help you find whatever you're looking for, then we'll team up and take down Ryan once and for all!"

"And if you and your companions value your lives, you'd leave now and never return!" snapped Ryan. "As for you, Ms. Chesterton, I suggest that you and yours stay out of what is none of you business."

"Dr. Tenenbaum asked us to help Sora and his friends," said Chrissie, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ryan, but you can kiss my ass."

"I see, you've made your choice," said Ryan, "we all must abide by our choices, for only the free have the right to choose, while the slave must obey. Sora, you and your friends are on a precarious path, for I am a man you do not want as an enemy."

"We only want this one thing that'll help our friend back home!" Sora insisted, "we never wanted any trouble."

"Trouble, I'm afraid," said Ryan, "you've found in abundance." With that the radio cut out.

"Bloody bastard!" snapped Atlas, "alright, you listen and listen good, you strangers; if you ever want to get out of Rapture alive, you come find me and we can work together to take down this monster."

"We'll be fine, thank you very much," said Kairi.

"I think we can handle a few Splicers and security drones," said Aiden.

"Don't be fools!" shouted Atlas, "Ryan has more than a few Splicers at his command. You'll never find what you're looking for without help."

"We have all the help we want, Mr. Atlas," said Sora as he gave an acknowledging nod to Chrissie and her friends, whom smiled and nodded back.

At that Atlas sighed with exasperation, "alright, you want to go alone, that's fine. But I'll call back in a little while to check on you, just in case you've changed your minds." At that the radio cut out.

"Well, that was a complete waste of time," said Tess.

"At least now we know what kind of enemies we're dealing with," said Riku as our heroes and allies started moving again, "two men of extreme opposing views whom hate each other."

"I couldn't tell which one was more crazy," said Malcolm, "Atlas seemed the more civil of the two, while Ryan's clearly been corrupted by his power. What bugs me is that while Atlas tried to get us to join him, Ryan wants us to leave. You'd think he'd try to recruit us to his side."

"Ryan wants nothing to do with outsiders," said Rachael, "I'm amazed he actually offered to negotiate over whatever you're looking for."

"What _are _you people looking for?" Calvin asked.

"It's a long story," said Sora.

"Wait!" said Liza. She then sniffed the air, "pheromones! We've got to get out of here before more Splicers show up!"

"What do pheromones have to do with Splicers?" Kairi asked just as several Splicers, some armed with pistols, some armed with machine guns and two wearing heavy raincoats can carrying small boxes, swarmed into the area.

"Forgive me, father!" shouted one of the coated Splicers as he pulled out and lit a bomb, "the devil made me do it!" he then threw the bomb at our heroes.

"No you don't!" shouted Chrissie as she raised her left hand, catching the bomb with her mind and sending it back towards the Splicers. The blast took out several including the coated one that threw the bomb.

The rest of the Splicers began firing wildly at our heroes and allies as they dove for cover.

"Don't these things ever give up!" shouted Travis as he fired his shotgun at the Splicers.

"That'd be too easy for us," said Rachael. She then looked up and saw a Security Camera that was scanning the area, "how'd I miss that?"

"Just be glad we're out of its range," said Calvin, "last thing we need is to be pestered by Security Bots."

"I think we've got enough to worry about as it is," said Riku as more Splicers ran into the area and began shooting at our heroes and allies.

"I just had a wild idea," said Tess as she looked at the Security Camera.

"I like your way of thinking," said a grinning Chrissie. She then looked at Rachael, "can you hack it?"

"Do fish shit in the ocean," Rachael asked smugly, but ducked and winced as a bullet clanged nearby, "but it's a little high up for me, and it's a little hard for me to concentrate when there's so many ADAM junkies shooting at me."

"I'll give you a boost," said Riku, "Sora, you and the others help cover."

"You got it!" said Sora as he, Kairi, Tess and Malcolm summoned their Keyblades and switched them to their gun forms, while Aiden switched his Keyblade to its crossbow form.

"Sweet," said an impressed Chrissie, "okay, everyone, give them Hell!" she then jumped up from cover and sprayed machinegun bullets at the Splicers, while Travis, Calvin, Liza, Sora, Malcolm, Aiden, Kairi and Tess provided more covering fire, forcing the Splicers back.

"Let's go!" shouted Rachael as she and Riku rushed to the Security Camera. Once directly under it, Rachael stood on Riku's shoulder.

"Hurry!" shouted Riku as Rachael opened up the Security Camera and manipulated the inner workings, "I don't know how much longer the others can keep shooting!"

As if in answer, first Chrissie, then Travis, Calvin and Lisa, had to duck to reload, leaving Sora and the rest to pick up the slack with their magic and alchemy-powered weapons.

"A few more seconds…" said Rachael, "got it!" at that the scanning light on the Security Camera turned green and locked on the attacking Splicers.

A loud klaxon siren sounded, followed by a high pitched whistling as several machineguns mounted onto small helicopter-like apparatuses, flew into the area and began shooting at the Splicers. Most were killed while and handful ran, with the Security Bots chasing after them.

"And that's that," said Rachael as Riku helped her down.

"Is it always like this in Rapture?" a stunned Sora asked as he looked at the dead Splicers.

"Only when we go out from our hiding place for food and supplies," said Chrissie as she and her friends checked the dead Splicers for anything of value, "you were serious about taking us with you when you go, right? You'd get us out of Rapture?"

"You'd better believe it," said Tess, "I survived one hellhole without going completely crazy, I'll be damned if I let anyone else lose their minds in the same situation, if I can help it."

"Speaking of helping," said Malcolm, "I think one of the Splicers is still alive." He pointed to one female Splicer, a woman in a tattered party dress and wearing a peacock mask, was laying on the floor on its left side, bleeding but still breathing.

"It won't be for much longer," said Rachael as she gripped one of her wrenches tightly and walked over.

"Wait," said Kairi, "let me try to heal her."

"Why bother?" Calvin asked, "it's just a Splicer."

"But _she _was human," said Kairi, "and could be human again if someone actually shows a little compassion." She then walked over to the bleeding Splicer.

"Bad idea," said Sora, "Splicers aren't exactly friendly, Kairi. It may not appreciate being helped."

"She may not," said Kairi, "but nothing will change in Rapture if everyone keeps shooting at everyone else." She bent down and rolled the female Splicer onto her back and removed is mask, revealing a face twisted by madness and Plasmid abuse.

"What are you doing!?" exclaimed the female Splicer as she glared up at Kairi with inhuman eyes, "how dare you touch me with your filthy hands!" the creature then pulled out a revolver and before Sora and the others could do anything, shot Kairi in the midsection three times.

"Kairi!" exclaimed Sora as he rushed in and caught her before she collapsed to the floor, while Rachael bashed the creature's head in with her wrenches.

"Kairi!" said Sora as he held her in his arms, his face a mask of frantic despair as he saw her bleeding wounds.

"Sora," said Kairi weakly as he eyes barely managed to stay open, "I…I…"

"What?!" Sora asked, "what is it, Kairi?"

"I…" said Kairi in a voice barely above a whisper, "I…sometimes hate it when you're right," with that her eyes fluttered close.

**The End of Chapter 2.**

_Next chapter find our heroes racing to save Kairi's life, but will they make it in time? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	4. Chapter 3: A Very Special Plasmid

_Last time our heroes came face to face with the horrors of Rapture, encountering not only Splicers, Little Sisters and Big Daddies, but also experiencing the polarizing extremes of Ryan and Atlas. After recklessly trying to rescue a Little Sister, then trying to help a wounded Splicer, Kairi got more than she bargained for in the form of three bullets to her torso. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 3: A Very Special Plasmid**

"She's hurt bad!" said Rachael as she pulled out a first aid kit.

"Gee, it must be Obvious Day at Camp Stupid!" snapped Tess, "of course she's hurt, she's been shot!"

"Kairi's always been there to heal us," said Riku in a stunned tone as Rachael, Chrissie and Travis tried to stop the bleeding, "but when she gets hurt…"

"She's going to be fine!" said Sora defiantly, "Kairi's going to be fine and don't you forget it!"

"She may not be fine for much longer," said Chrissie, "we've slowed the bleeding down but the bullets are still in her."

"Just be glad they're normal bullets and not antipersonnel," said Joshua as he examined the revolver that was used to shoot Kairi.

"Normal first aid isn't enough," said Rachael, "we've got to get her to Dr. Tenenbaum."

"I thought Dr. Tenenbaum was a doctor of science, not medicine," said Malcolm.

"In times like this, she's both," said Liza, "now help me scrounge up some stuff to make a stretcher! Where's a U-Invent when you need one?"

"Will this do?" Aiden asked after he transmuted a pile of trash into a stretcher.

"How'd you do that?" Liza asked, "and don't tell me it's magic," she then stubbornly crossed her arms, "there's no such thing as magic, only science."

"Then how do you explain our Keyblades?" Aiden asked as Sora, Riku and Travis carefully placed Kairi in the stretcher.

"Science, of course," said Liza, "some form of psycho-kinetic manipulation of thought to matter, maybe you have the power to store items in a pocket dimension."

"Vanishing and summoning items is one of the basic forms of magic we learn where I come from," said Malcolm.

"Science is science," said Liza stubbornly.

"Anything supernatural can be explained logically," said Calvin as Sora and Riku lifted Kairi up and they all hurried out of the area, "if modern means can't explain it, it will be as technology improves."

"So you'll be able to put a label on magic and call it another form of science?" Tess asked.

"Why are we having this conversation at a time like this!?" Sora exclaimed, "Kairi's bleeding to death and you're having a magic vs. science debate?!"

"She's not going to die, Sora," said Riku, "just calm down."

"How can I calm down when Kairi's been shot?!" exclaimed Sora, "she's probably in more pain than she's ever been in her life."

"The Tracker Jacker hurt more," said Kairi in a weak but stable tone as she leaned her head up, "just calm down, Sora, I'll be fine."

"You're not fine!" exclaimed Sora, "you're bleeding to death!"

"It takes a while to bleed to death from a belly wound," said Kairi, "and the bullets missed my vital organs, so stop freaking out already."

"I'M NOT FREAKING OUT!" shouted Sora, only to be slapped in the face by Rachael.

"I know someone freaking out when I see it," said Rachael, "you're freaking out."

"Sora, you take the point," said Chrissie, "if my memory serves me right, we're less than fifty yards from a shortcut to our hideout. Joshua, go with him. Travis, you help carry Kairi."

"We'll stay with her, Sora," said Tess, "go ahead and see if the path is clear."

"Go, Sora!" Kairi insisted, "having a mental breakdown won't help me."

"Uh…okay," said Sora in a subdued tone. With that he and Joshua hurried ahead.

"Is he gone?" Kairi asked.

"He's gone," said Aiden.

"Good," groaned Kairi as she collapsed onto the stretcher, cringing in agony, "I didn't want him to see me like this!"

"I thought the Tracker Jacker sting hurt more," said Malcolm.

"I lied!" moaned Kairi as she clutched at her midsection, the bandages around her wounds beginning to soak with blood, "this is the worst pain ever!"

"Just hang on, Kairi," said Riku in a reassuring tone, "we'll get to you to Dr. Tenenbaum," he looked at Chrissie, "she can help Kairi, right?"

"She's probably the only one in Rapture who can," said Chrissie, "come on, let's get going."

"If we can just get to the siding without running into any more Splicers," said Rachael.

"What siding?" Tess asked.

"That siding," said Chrissie as she pointed at a nearby window. Out in the freezing water was a large, half-buried pipe leading from the section of the city to another.

"You want us to crawl through that pipe?" Aiden asked, "Kairi won't last that long."

"That's not a pipe, it's a train tunnel," said Liza.

"Atlantic Express," said Chrissie, "a train system connecting different areas of Rapture. It's mostly shutdown thanks to the Bathysphere System, but the maintenance sidings are still open."

"That's how we've been able to get around Rapture so easily," said Travis.

They found Sora and Joshua at pile of rubbish that Chrissie and her group pushed aside, revealing a hidden airlock that they opened. Inside the airlock was a large handcar on a track that went off into the tunnel.

"This one leads to Olympic Heights," said Chrissie as they all climbed aboard the handcar, "from there it's just a hop, skip and a jump to our hideout."

"We hope," said Travis.

At that Sora, Riku, Aiden and Malcolm stood on one side of the pump handles, Travis, Calvin, Joshua and Chrissie on the other, with Tess, Liza and Rachael sitting with Kairi. Those at the hand pump moved the handles up and down and the car began moving into the gloominess of the tunnel.

A short time later the handcar arrived at the other end of the tunnel in a room identical to the one our heroes had just left. Sora and Joshua picked up the stretcher carrying Kairi as Chrissie opened the door to the city section, then pushed aside the concealing rubbish.

"Coast's clear," said Chrissie after she looked around.

"Exactly how far is a hop, skip and jump in Rapture?" Tess asked as our heroes hurried through the city section with Aiden taking the lead.

"We're less than five minutes away," said Chrissie.

"Assuming we don't run into any Splicers," said Travis.

"They haven't figured out that we're using the sidings," said Joshua.

"And I don't smell any pheromones," said Liza.

"What is it about the pheromones?" Malcolm asked.

"That's how Ryan controls the Splicers," said Calvin, "heightened senses are a side effect of Plasmid abuse, especially the sense of smell."

"I just happen to have a naturally gifted nose," said Liza, "Big Daddies, on the other hand, they have their own pheromones that I can't pick up."

"We usually hear them first," said Rachael, "but sometimes they're so quiet, we don't know they're there until we run right into the,."

"You mean like now?" a visibly nervous Malcolm asked.

"What?" Aiden asked as he looked back, seeing that everyone was looking ahead with a frightened expression on their faces. Aiden looked ahead just as he bumped right into a Bouncer type Big Daddy that was escorting a Little Sister.

Aiden looked up at the creature as its eyes turned red and it groaned menacingly. "Uh…sorry…" said Aiden, just before the Big Daddy backhanded him into the wall. The creature then let out a wrathful grunt as steam jetted from its helmet, while it scooped its Little Sister onto its back.

"Hurt him, Mr. B!" exclaimed the Little Sister, "Tear him to bits!"

The creature's drill arm spun rapidly as it charged at Aiden, intending to impale and rip him apart. Aiden barely managed to duck and roll out of the way, then rolled away again as the creature tried to crush his head.

"Get away from my friend, you metal monster!" shouted Tess as she aimed and fired her Keyblade Shotgun at the Big Daddy. The blast significantly damaged the creature but it rushed at Tess and knocked her down, then backhanded Malcolm with its drill arm.

"Eat mercy, you pile of scrap!" shouted Joshua as he loaded another chemical tank into his Chemical Thrower, aimed and shot a stream of blue liquid that crackled with energy. The liquid hit the Big Daddy, stopping it in its tracks as electricity coursed through its body.

"Let 'em have it!" shouted Riku as he and everyone aimed and shot their weapons at the Big Daddy, with a grenade from Calvin finishing the creature off.

"Alright, we did it!" said Aiden triumphantly.

"But, what have we done?" Riku asked as he saw the Little Sister, distraughtly bawling over the destroyed Big Daddy.

"Get up, Mr. Bubbles!" wailed the Little Sister as she clutched at the fallen creature, "Please! Get up!"

"What do we do?" Sora asked as he looked at the mutated child.

"We take her with us," said Chrissie, "Dr. Tenenbaum will know what to do."

"Are you serious?!" Travis asked as he reloaded his shotgun, "we can't take a Little Sister? She'll bring down another Big Daddy before we can blink! Or worse, attract a horde of Splicers."

"Then we'd better get out of here before she does," said Chrissie, "help me with her!" with that she and Rachael rushed up to the Little Sister and picked her up.

"NO!" shouted the Little Sister as she struggled weakly against Chrissie and Rachael, "NO! NO NO!"

"Somebody gag the little freak," groaned Tess as Riku helped her up, her left arm limp at her side and a gash was bleeding across her forehead, "and anybody got an aspirin?"

"You think you're suffering?" Malcolm moaned as Aiden helped him up, "I think I'm bleeding internally," he gently felt his midsection and winced, "oh, yes, I've got a ruptured squeedily spooch."

"You've got a what?" Travis asked as he and Sora picked up Kairi's stretcher, "never mind, let's just go."

They hurried through the city section, ever watchful for more Splicers or another Big Daddy, all the while Rachael and Chrissie held onto the struggling Little Sister.

Eventually they reached a door concealed behind a faded and scratched poster advertising various Plasmids. Past the door lay a staircase that lead down to another door, this one much larger.

Rachael pulled out one of her wrenches and knocked twice, then three times, then one more. At that the door opened and there stood a woman in her early 30's with long brown hair, green eyes and wearing a mildly ragged blouse and skirt with brown shoes.

"Thank goodness, you all made it," said Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum.

"Some of us are hurt pretty bad, Dr. T." said Chrissie as she and the others hurried inside the hideout, with Dr. Tenenbaum closing and locking the door behind them. Inside the sanctuary lay various pieces of old and slightly damaged furniture, boxes of food and ammunition and various bric-a-brac strewn about the floor. A handful of men, women and children were scattered about the area, while one side of the room was set up as a makeshift laboratory.

"Kairi's been shot!" said Sora.

"I'm fine," said Kairi weakly as she tried to sit up, only to be gently pushed down by Aiden and Riku, "help Tess and Malcolm!"

"Three bullet wounds trump a dislocated arm and a concussion," said Tess as Liza brought a gauze pad to her forehead.

"What's a ruptured Squeedily Spooch compared to getting shot?" Malcolm asked, he then glared at Tess, "but we wouldn't be in this mess if _someone _hadn't given away all our healing items."

"So it's my fault that Kairi got shot, you're bleeding internally and my skull's half crushed!?" exclaimed Tess, "just wait until I pop my arm back into my shoulder! I'll hit you so hard, your ancestors _and _descendents will feel it!"

"There'll be no violence in this place of refuge!" insisted Dr. Tenenbaum, "this is a place of safety and sanity against the insanity into which Rapture has descended into. Now, you younglings can either lay aside your hostility and allow me to help your friend, or you can leave and settle your differences like barbarians, outside."

"I'm no barbarian," said Malcolm, "and I'm sorry, Tess. But I'm still pissed."

"I'm still hurt, but I accept your apology," said Tess, "now what about Kairi?"

"Bring the child here," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she walked over to her makeshift laboratory, "I believe I have something that will help her."

"If you're going to operate," said Kairi, "you should know, I'm allergic to morphine."

"You never told me that," said a surprised Sora.

"You never asked," said Kairi.

"I'd prefer to keep surgery as a last resort," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she went to a makeshift refrigerator and pulled out a corked vial full of a glowing blue liquid, "but this will heal the wounds and neutralize any infections organisms in said wounds."

"Is that…what is that, Dr. T?" Liza asked.

"It's a Plasmid, isn't it," said Chrissie.

"A single-use Plasmid," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "one I had hoped would cure Splicers of their addiction and reverse their physical and psychological mutations."

"And you're gonna inject that stuff into Kairi?!" exclaimed Sora, "over my dead body, you are!"

"Don't argue with her, Sora," insisted Chrissie, "if Dr. Tenenbaum says it can help Kairi, it will."

"But Plasmids helped destroy Rapture," said Riku, "it drove so many people mad and wiped out so many more."

"You guys said you too were on the brink of going crazy," said Aiden.

"We still can," said Travis as he walked to another refrigerator and pulled out several syringes full of a different glowing blue liquid and handed one each to his friends, keeping one for himself. They all injected the liquids into their left wrists, sighing with relief as the liquid coursed through their veins.

"What was that crap you just mainlined?" Riku asked.

"EVE," said Rachael as she smiled with content, "it recharges Plasmid abilities.

"And keeps us from wanting more ADAM," said Travis, "at least the batches that Dr. T. has been making," he then looked at his friends with serious eyes, "but it won't matter much longer, there's only a few shots left of the special brand."

"I used the last of my stored ADAM to make it," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "and I no longer have access to fresh ADAM slugs."

"Couldn't we use normal EVE?" Liza asked, "there's plenty of EVE Hypos all over Rapture."

"We start using normal EVE, we'll start wanting more Plasmids and Gene Tonics," said Chrissie, "next thing you know, we'll be just another half dozen Splicers."

"It won't come to that, my friends," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "I've been working on a plan to acquire more ADAM to manufacture the special EVE," she then looked at Sora, "but first, let me assure you that this special Plasmid will not alter your friend's genetic code, merely stimulate her own body's healing."

"Should you get the bullets out first?" Tess asked.

"The healing Plasmid will neutralize the bullets," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "at least I believe it will."

"You haven't tested it yet, have you," said Malcolm.

"No way are you injecting Kairi with some experimental drug!" insisted Sora as she stood between Kairi and Dr. Tenenbaum, "especially one that may or may not dissolve bullets or whatever it's supposed to do."

"I can get the bullets out, Sora," said Malcolm, "a simple translocation spell should do the trick."

"Oh boy, here we go again with the magic," sighed Liza, "Dr. T., please tell them that there's no such thing as magic."

"If there's one thing I've learned as a scientist," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "is to keep an open mind."

"Alright then," said Liza, "let's see you pull the bullets out, without hurting Kairi."

"Gladly," said Malcolm as he cracked his knuckles. He walked over to Kairi, grabbing an empty coffee can, "I'll be as gentle as possible."

"Just get them out," said Kairi through gritted teeth.

"Here I go, then!" said Malcolm as he held his hands over Kairi's wounds and chanted a spell. There was a flash of light and the first bullet clattered into the coffee can. Five seconds later there was a slightly weaker flash and the second bullet fell into the coffee can. Malcom's brow furrowed as he repeated the spell, then repeated it again. There was a final, almost miniscule flash and the last bullet fell into the coffee can.

"You did it!" said Sora, while Liza and her friends looked on with astonished eyes.

"Barely," said a slightly winded Malcolm as he wiped sweat from his brow, "the spell should have gotten all three bullets out at once. Something's messing with my mojo."

"We'll worry about that later," said Riku, "let's just get Kairi healed up."

"I still don't like it," said Sora, "I don't want Kairi injected with drugs."

"It's either that or operate to repair the internal damage," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "and considering that this is hardly the time or place for a major operation, I humbly suggest you let me help your friend in the best way I can."

"Let her do it, Sora," said Chrissie.

"Unless you want a messy and potentially lethal operation," said Tess, "in that case, I hope there's plenty of blood donors here who share the same type as Kairi."

"But…" said Sora.

"Don't be an idiot, Sora," said Kairi in a harsh whisper, "let Dr. Tenenbaum do what she has to do."

At that Sora tried to argue further but words failed him as he stood aside.

"This may feel somewhat unpleasant," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she soaked a strip of bandage in alcohol and sterilized the crook of Kairi's elbow, "but you should start to heal within seconds."

"_If _it works," said Aiden.

"If Dr. Tenenbaum says it works, it will work," insisted Calvin.

"I won't blame you if it doesn't," said Kairi, "I'm not afraid."

"That's good," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "you may need that courage." At that she injected the Plasmid into Kairi.

Almost immediately, Kairi tensed up, her face a grimace of pain as the foreign substance coursed through her blood vessels.

"It didn't work!" said Sora as Kairi began convulsing on the stretcher, "she's hurting more now than ever!"

"No, it's just the ADAM stimulating her genetic code," said Dr. Tenenbaum. "It's accelerating her natural healing prowess."

"You hope, you mean," said Tess.

But after a few seconds Kairi relaxed stopped moving, sighing with relief as she passed out.

Sora and Chrissie carefully removed the bandages and to everyone's astonishment, the three bullet holes were slowly closing up.

"You did it, Dr. Tenenbaum!" said Rachael, "you are a genius."

"I'm just a gifted amateur," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "and fortunate to have my talents recognized and exploited by the right people when so many of my fellow countrymen were slaughtered."

"Either way, you made something incredible," said Malcolm, "any chance I can have some of that healing Plasmid for my Squeedily Spooch?"

"And what about my concussion?" Tess asked as she had Riku hold her left hand tightly. She jerked back, wincing as her arm popped back into its socket, "and my shoulder's sore too!" she said as she grimaced against the pain.

"Those can be treated with some normal medicine," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "Normal for Rapture that is," she then looked at Sora, "as for your friend, she'll need plenty of rest, but she will be fine."

"Thank goodness," said Sora as he held Kairi's hand. He then looked at Dr. Tenenbaum, "how can I ever repay you?"

"You can by helping me atone for my greatest failure," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "by freeing the Little Sisters from the curse they've been placed under."

"And what curse is that?" Riku asked.

"See for yourself," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she indicated the captured Little Sister, whom was struggling to get away from Travis and Joshua, "they've lost so much of their humanity, retaining a fragment of innocence that has been perverted by their conditioning to collect ADAM from the dead. It shames me that my discovery lead to such abominations.

"When I first saw what was done to these girls, I was sickened and wanted nothing to do with them. But as a scientist, I had to try to understand what they had become. The more I studied the Little Sisters, the more I was disgusted by them, but one day I found that I did care for them, enough so to want to do something about their horrific fates."

She then walked back to the refrigerator and pulled out a vial filled with a red liquid, "my greatest achievement yet, greater than any Plasmid marketed by Fontaine Futuristics. With this Plasmid, you will be able to restore to the Little Sisters what was so wrongfully taken from them; their souls."

"Have you really done it, Dr. Tenenbaum?" Chrissie asked, "you figured out how to save them?"

"If I have, there is only one way to find out," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "and for that, I must ask one of you to do the unthinkable."

"You want one of us to use this new Plasmid," said Rachael.

"But you guys are recovering addicts or something like that," said Malcolm.

"But we also owe Dr. T. for our lives and sanity," said Liza, "in Rapture, you pay what's owed. I'll do it, I'll take the new Plasmid," she then rolled up the sleeve of her left hand, "hit me!"

"No, I'll do it!" said Calvin, "you've taken plenty of Plasmids as it is."

"I have three Plasmid abilities and a standard set of Gene Tonics, just like the rest of us," said Liza, "I'm just as strong, smart and fast as you and the others are, even smarter in some cases. I'm just as capable of getting around Rapture and I'm probably braver than you are, big brother."

"That still doesn't make it right," said Calvin.

"No, it isn't," said Chrissie as she found a box of straws, pulled out six, cut one in half and mixed it in with the rest, then held them in one fist at random lengths, "whoever draws the short one is the guinea pig."

"Do you even know what a guinea pig is?" Joshua asked after he and Travis finished tying up the struggling Little Sister.

"Have you even _seen _a real guinea pig?" Travis asked.

"No, and I bet neither have you," said Chrissie, "but fair is fair."

"Truer words have never been spoken," said Rachael. One by one she and the others drew straws, with the short straw going to Liza.

"Looks like I'm the guinea pig after all," said Liza as she smiled smugly.

"You cheated," said Calvin stubbornly.

"I never cheat," said Liza, "I'm just lucky," she then looked at Dr. Tenenbaum, "hit me, Doc."

"I cannot say that this will be easy for you, young Eliza," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she swabbed alcohol on Liza's left palm, "the temptation to acquire more ADAM for yourself will only grow stronger, but so long as you hold onto that which you value the most, your heart, you'll overcome the desire to commit an act of unforgivable evil."

"What's she mean by that?" Tess asked, "what act of unforgivable evil?"

"One of the side effects of the special Plasmid is that it will extract the ADAM from the Little Sister," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "one way or another."

"She means I'll want more ADAM than I'll get from freeing a Little Sister," said Liza, "and to get that ADAM, I'll want to rip open the Little Sister to get the ADAM slug in her belly."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Kairi as she sat up, then almost fell over dizzily, "you can't make her take something that'll make her want to kill a little girl!"

"Kairi, you need to lie down!" said Sora as he and Aiden gently pushed Kairi down, "you're still weak."

"I'm strong enough to stop Liza from being turned into a murdering psychopath!" said Kairi.

"I want this, Kairi!" said Liza, "I have to do it, even at the risk of my own sanity and soul."

"So you did cheat," said Calvin, "but I get why."

"I don't get it," said Malcolm, while Riku, Aiden and Tess shook their head.

"It's not her," said Liza as she looked at the captive Little Sister, "but one of them is…was…may still be…my best friend from when I was little. I refuse to believe that my friend is lost forever. If Dr. T's new Plasmid can cure this one Little Sister here, than I can use it to save my friend from herself," she then looked at Dr. Tenenbaum, "do it before someone else tries to change my mind."

At that Dr. Tenenbaum injected the Plasmid into Liza. She winced and nearly lost her balance as her DNA was altered. But she stood up straight and smiled a bit after a few seconds.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

"My head hurts a bit, but yeah, I'm fine," said Liza. "Let's see if this stuff works," with that she walked over to the captive Little Sister and untied her. The mutated girl tried to run but Liza grabbed her in an iron grip and lifted her up with her left hand, while her the blood vessels glowed with bright purple energy.

"NO!" protested the Little Sister as she tried to push herself free of Liza, "NO! NO NO!" but then Liza touched the Little Sister's forehead. The energy from Liza's right hand passed into the Little Sister, lighting up her eyes and blood vessels until a white light engulfed them both.

When the light faded, Liza released the Little Sister and sat back, sighing with exhaustion, while the Little Sister's skin and eyes had returned to that of a normal child's.

"Are you alright?" Liza asked.

"I…yes, I'm okay," said the child, "what…what happened?"

"You've been having a horrible nightmare, little one," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she smiled warmly at the child, "but you're awake, at long last, you're awake."

"Then…did it work?" Aiden asked as Chrissie and Rachael led the child away to get something to eat, "is that girl no longer a Little Sister?"

"She's no longer a slave to the Little Sister conditioning," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "no longer an ageless abomination with only the collection of ADAM on her mind. However, she has the ADAM slug implanted in her system, and will keep it in her until the day she dies."

"The slugs are like a hyped-up immune system," said Joshua, "take it out and she'll die within minutes if not sooner."

"But she's not an ADAM factory anymore," said Liza, "in fact," she then felt her stomach and winced with slightly discomfort, "I think I sucked out some of what she already had."

"We'd better get it out of you before you decide to use it," said Calvin, "if we can get it out, that is."

"That's what the ADAM syringes are for," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she picked said device up, "unless you'd rather not suffer any more needles today."

"After what I just experienced," said Liza as she took they syringe, "a needle to my gut sounds like a cakewalk." She then jabbed herself in the stomach and withdrew several milliliters of glowing red liquid.

"You can't expect us to believe that that didn't hurt," said Riku.

"It did!" cried Liza as she clutched at her stomach, "I think I'm gonna be sick!" she then ran for the bathroom.

"Good thing most of the plumbing in Rapture still works," said Travis as Calvin ran after Liza.

"So, by restoring a Little Sister's humanity," said Sora, "you also get more ADAM."

"Enough to make more of the special EVE young Chrysanthemum and her friends need," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "as well as the healing Plasmid your friend Kairi is enjoying."

"It's still wrong," said Kairi as she tried to sit up again.

"It is, but it makes sense," said Aiden, "and I know what you want from us, Dr. Tenenbaum; we help you rescue Little Sisters as payment for helping Kairi. But it's not quite equal in my eye."

"True," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "there's something more you need, the one thing you travelers came to Rapture for."

"You'd help us find the missing power?" Sora asked.

"What missing power?" Chrissie asked as she and Rachael came back.

"Long story," said Aiden.

"And an interesting one at that," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "but yes, if one of you were to partake of the Rescue Plasmid and help liberate the Little Sisters, then yes, I will help you find this missing power of yours."

"You want one of us to shoot that ADAM garbage into our system and Splice up?!" exclaimed Tess.

"If it means helping Cinderella and the others back home, then yes," said Aiden, "that would be an equivalent exchange."

**The End of Chapter 3.**

_Next chapter finds our heroes fighting their way through Rapture to liberate the Little Sisters, unaware that the worst horrors are yet to come. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	5. Chapter 4: Search & Rescue

_Last time found our heroes and allies carring a wounded Kairi through Rapture, dodging enemies around in order to reach the hideaway of Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, whom had with her an experimental Plasmid that could heal Kairi. After some hesitant arguments from Sora and the others, Kairi was given the healing Plasmid and almost immediately felt better, through still had a ways to go before she was back on her feet. But that was only the beginning, so to speak. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 4: Search And Rescue**

"You'd help us find the missing power?" Sora asked.

"What missing power?" Chrissie asked as she and Rachael came back.

"Long story," said Aiden.

"And an interesting one at that," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "but yes, if one of you were to partake of the Rescue Plasmid and help liberate the Little Sisters, then yes, I will help you find this missing power of yours."

"You want one of us to shoot that ADAM garbage into our system and Splice up?!" exclaimed Tess.

"If it means helping Cinderella and the others back home, then yes," said Aiden, "that would be an equivalent exchange."

"The hell it is!" exclaimed Kairi.

"Will you please take a rest already!?" exclaimed Malcolm, "and what about my bleeding organs?"

"And my bleeding skull?" Tess asked.

"Those can be taken care of without too much trouble," said Dr. Tenenbaum.

At that Rachael and Joshua injected a smaller amount of the healing Plasmid into Malcolm and Tess.

"Hey!" exclaimed Tess as she felt her arm where she received the injection, "how dare you shoot me up with that garbage!" she then grunted in pain and doubled over as the Plasmid stimulated her DNA.

"You do that to me again and I'll transfigure you into a bucketful of slime!" snapped Malcolm as he collapsed to the floor. But then he and Tess stood back up, a look of awed relief on their faces as their wounds were healed.

"Bet you're feeling quite sorry that you yelled at us, right?" Rachael asked smugly.

"A bit," said Malcolm as he rubbed his arm, "but I'm still pissed."

"Now we'll wind up as Plasmid junkies," said Tess.

"Plasmids only become addictive when taken to excess," said Dr. Tenenbaum in a reassuring manner, "otherwise I would never have given it to your friend here."

"That _still _doesn't make it right," said Kairi, "and neither does making my friends take that other Plasmid."

"It's either that or go crawling through Rapture by ourselves," said Aiden, "as much as I hate to admit it, we need Dr. Tenenbaum's help."

"She and the others are probably the only real friends we have in Rapture," said Tess, "I don't like it, but one of us has to take that Rescue Plasmid. Besides," she then looked at the liberated Little Sister, whom was happily talking with Liza, "who knows how many more like her are still trapped in that living nightmare?"

"At least twenty that we know of," said Chrissie, "but there's a lot more Big Daddies than there are Little Sisters."

"And the only way to get to a Little Sister is by taking out her Big Daddy," said Joshua."

"What about those air vents?" Riku asked, "they crawl in and out of them, isn't there a way to go in after them?"

"They're too small to crawl in after a Little Sister," said Travis, "a lot of Splicers wound up stuck, until a Big Daddy came along and ripped the poor lunatic apart so it could call a Little Sister."

"They'll only come out if they smell the special pheromones coming from a Big Daddy," said Rachael, "which we can't copy without getting a Big Daddy suit."

"Which is nearly impossible since Ryan controls the section of Rapture where Big Daddies are created and conditioned," said Travis.

"That means we'll have to fight each and every Big Daddy that has a Little Sister with it," said Tess, "typical."

"It may not be so hard," said Joshua, "I just need to use Gene Bank to switch Plasmids." He then walked to a nearby machine anchored to the wall.

"You can do that?" Sora asked, "change abilities?"

"Of course," said Chrissie, "everyone who's taken ADAM can change their Plasmids and Gene Tonics.

"There we go," said Joshua as he walked away from the machine, "just show me a Big Daddy and I'll show you what I can do."

"First thing's first," said Riku, "which one of us gets the Rescue Plasmid?"

"I'll do it," said Tess, "I'll free the Little Sisters."

"You told me that you can't stand needles!" said Riku.

"I never told you that," said Tess.

"But you were tortured and nearly went crazy," said Aiden, "I'll do it."

"You're already an alchemist," said Malcolm, "I'll bet you can just change the Little Sisters back to normal."

"Human transmutation is forbidden!" snapped Aiden, "even if the humans in question are already changed."

"I'll do it," said Sora, "give me the Rescue Plasmid, Dr. Tenenbaum, for Kairi's sake."

"Just wait till I get back on my feet!" said Kairi as she tried to stand up, "I'll do it!"

"If I have to tie you down and gag you, I'll do it!" said Riku, "and I'll take the Plasmid."

"Oh, just draw straws already!" said Liza as she walked over with five straws, "short straw gets a needle in the arm."

"You're too much of a smartass for your own good, you know that?" Malcolm asked as he, Riku, Tess, Aiden and Sora drew straws.

"It's the brain-boosting Gene Tonics," said Liza, "they can make you a genius but it's hard to keep my mouth shut."

"You could never keep your mouth shut before you took ADAM," said Calvin.

"At least your heart's intact," said Riku as he held up the short straw, "looks like I'm the lucky guy."

"You cheated!" snapped Tess.

"I did not!" insisted Riku, "if anyone here cheated, it's you!"

"I think she did cheat," said Malcolm, "I felt her tugging at the straws, trying to figure out which one was the short one."

"Well I felt Riku holding tighter onto one of the straws," said Tess, "but…"

"But nothing," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she prepared the syringe full of the Rescue Plasmid, "the choice has been made," she then sterilized Riku's arm and injected him with the Plasmid.

Almost immediately, Riku doubled over in pain as the blood vessels in his arm, then the rest of his body, lit up with the Plasmid coursing through them. He cried out in agony and collapsed to the floor.

"Riku!" shouted Tess as she rushed over, only to stop when she saw him standing up on his own.

"I'm alright," said Riku, "wow! That was intense."

"Nothing like your first real hit of ADAM," said Chrissie, "having your genetic code rewritten, it's like being touched by God."

"Don't get me started on God," said Joshua, "religion's outlawed in Rapture."

"That's because Ryan wouldn't accept any faith in anything except his Great Chain," said Chrissie, "but what difference does it make what you believe in, so long as you believe in something positive."

"Like how we're gonna free the Little Sisters and get the hell out of Rapture," said Liza, "I'm ready whenever everyone else is."

"So, how do you want to do this?" Sora asked, "there's five of us but six of you."

"This time there'll be no cheating," said Calvin as he found a chess set and drew out six white pawns and five black. He gave one black pawn to Liza, one white to Riku and put the rest into an empty coffee can, "black goes with Liza, white goes with Riku."

"Why'd you give me black?" Liza asked.

"Because I couldn't find any red chess pieces, obviously," teased Calvin as our heroes and allies drew the pawns.

"And how come I'm on the team with six people?" Liza asked, "why can't I be on the five team? I'm just as strong as everyone else here!"

"Because he wants the extra chance of being on the same team you are," said Rachael as she drew the last pawn. Everyone looked at what they drew. Sora, Tess, Malcolm, Chrissie and Travis drew black, while Aiden, Calvin, Joshua and Rachael drew white.

"I want a redraw!" said Calvin, "it wasn't a fair lottery. Someone cheated!"

"Why do you always say that?" Liza asked, "just because things don't go your way doesn't mean someone's out to get you."

"It sure seems that way sometimes," muttered Calvin.

"Alright," said Chrissie, "we all know who's on which team. We just need to decide who goes where."

"I believe this will come in handy," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she brought over several maps of the city and laid them out for our heroes and allies to see.

"We're here in Olympus Heights," said Joshua, "according our estimates, there's at least two more Little Sisters operating in this section of the city."

"There's two in the Medical Pavilion," said Travis, "three in Neptune's Bounty, at least two in Arcadia, one at the Farmer's Market, at least three in Fort Frolic, three in Hephaestus, two at Apollo Square and three in Point Prometheus."

"That's at least twenty-one," said Sora.

"And each one has a Big Daddy guarding her," said Chrissie.

"Don't forget about all the Security Turrets and Bots," said Travis, "not to mention who knows how many Splicers that'll get in our way."

"I didn't forget," said Chrissie.

"Anyone want to make out their last will and testament, now's the time," said Travis.

"That's not funny," said Rachael.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," said Travis, "seriously, we're all gonna die."

"What about those Vita-Chambers they built all over the city?" Liza asked, "aren't they supposed to resurrect the dead or something?"

"They won't work for you, I fear," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "I've seen true miracles accomplished by Plasmids, but these resurrection chambers built by Sinclair Solutions and Suchong Laboratories, to me they're just one of Ryan's eccentric projects."

"We'll just have to be careful then," said Sora, "So, who goes where?"

"Let's have Team Black take Arcadia, the Farmers Market, Fort Frolic and Apollo Square," said Chrissie, "while Team White hit's the Medical Pavilion, Neptune's Bounty, Hephaestus and finish up here in Olympus Heights. We'll all meet in Point Prometheus."

"Then let's get this show on the road," said Aiden as he pressed his wrists.

"You guys promise me one thing," said Kairi, "stay alive and safe. If things get too dangerous, run. Don't be too much of a hero, just run."

"We can't just run away from every dangerous situation, Kairi," said Tess.

"I know," said Kairi, "but if anything I've learned recently is that we've been lucky, really lucky, especially during our time on Banoi. It's a miracle none of us got eaten alive by zombies, just as it's a miracle that Splicer didn't shoot me in the heart or head."

"So we've got divine intervention on our side or something," said Sora.

"That's not what I meant," said Kairi, "I'm saying that we're only human, more or less, so don't act like superheroes and believe that you're invulnerable or something."

"We'll be careful, Kairi," said Malcolm, "without a doubt."

"So wish us luck already," said Aiden, "we don't like it when you get serious and ominous."

"I'm not done being serious and ominous," said Kairi, "I want you all to swear that you'll come back safe and sound, and I want you to mean it!"

"We swear," said Sora, while Riku and the others nodded in agreement.

"We swear too," said Chrissie, while Travis, Rachael, Calvin, Liza and Joshua nodded in agreement.

"Are you satisfied?" Riku asked.

"Yes," said Kairi as she smiled smugly, "I am."

"Then for goodness sake, child!" said Dr. Tenenbaum as she gently but sternly forced Kairi to lie down, "stop exerting yourself before I sedate you!" She then looked at Sora and the others, "I'll make sure she gets the rest she needs. Good luck and may the heavens watch over you all."

"Thanks, Dr. T," said Chrissie. With that she and our heroes split into their respective groups and exited the hideout.

"I have this horrible feeling that some of them won't come back," said Kairi, "or is it that I'm tired?"

"It may be both," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "but regardless of what the future holds, one thing is certain, young traveler from another world. The coming of you and your friends has restored something to the good people of Rapture that I believed was long lost; hope."

"Yeah, my friends and I have a habit of doing that wherever we go," said Kairi, "I just hope we're not in over our heads this time. I keep feeling that something terrible is going to happen."

Just then two liberated Little Sisters crawled their way into the hideout via an air vent, where they were welcomed by their other rescued friend.

"On the other hand," said Kairi, "we do get lucky a lot."

* * *

…**Neptune's Bounty…a few hours later**

"That hypnosis Plasmid you have really works," said Aiden as he, Riku, Calvin, Joshua and Rachael, stood in the middle of Fontaine Fisheries, surrounded by dead Splicers and three destroyed Big Daddies, while a fourth stood nearby with it's drill arm ready to impale more Splicers, its eye ports glowing a friendly green.

"Sometimes it's nice to have a little extra help," said Joshua.

"I can't believe how fast we cleared the Medical Pavilion and here," said Riku.

"I can't believe what we found in the Medical Pavilion," said Calvin, "that Doctor Steinman was a freak!"

"He wasn't always like that," said Rachael, "my parents were physicians and worked with Dr. Steinman. He was actually a pretty nice man outside his job. But his obsession with perfection drove him mad, that and ADAM."

"Do you think Rapture would be better off without ADAM?" Riku asked, "the Little Sisters would certainly be."

"They're getting another chance, that's what matters now," said Joshua, "as for Rapture, I don't know."

Just then Joshua's radio crackled and from it came the voice of Ryan, "I see that you young adventurers have made quite the mess in Neptune's Bounty."

"Just cleaning up some filth, Mr. Ryan," said Joshua in an annoyed tone as he and the others looked at the dead Splicers, "I don't need to detect pheromones to know that some of these were sent by you."

"A mere precaution," said Ryan, "a message to warn you on how futile your endeavor is. Rapture is mine and I won't let you take it from me."

"Just what makes you think we're here to take the city from you?" Riku asked, "we don't want it."

"But you do," said Ryan, "or rather, whoever sent you wants it."

"What are you talking about?" Aiden asked, "no one sent us!"

"Deny it all you want, you're just puppets on strings," said Ryan, "but who is the puppet master? Who are the parasites pulling the strings? Did Washington send you? Or perhaps Moscow? I wouldn't put it past the Feds and KGB to recruit children, but not the Vatican, no. You don't strike me as religious fanatics."

"You're insane!" shouted Riku, "and no wonder; trapped on the bottom of the ocean in a city of your own making. You've become corrupted and paranoid by your own power and ADAM abuse!"

"You dare compare me to those craven creatures whom degenerate themselves on Plasmids!?" exclaimed Ryan, "I have never taken ADAM. My mind is as clear as the day I first dreamed of Rapture! I had hoped you intruders could be reasoned with, that you could understand what Rapture is and what it could be for you. But what does a group of reckless children understand of The Great Chain? Of the struggle against moochers, looters and parasites?"

"I understand that you tried to save the best of humanity and wound up dragging out the worst of it into the open," said Aiden.

"Again, what does a child know about the world!?" Ryan exclaimed, "but you'll understand in time. You'll understand that Rapture is mine and anyone who tries to take it from me will pay the ultimate price."

At that the radio call clicked out.

"It's official, he's psycho," said Aiden.

"He wasn't always like that," said Rachael, "and he really tried to save humanity from destruction. For all we know the world above has been choked by radiation."

"There's no radioactive fallout above!" said Aiden, "there's been no nuclear war and never will be! Ryan's kept you and the others prisoners of your own fears!"

"I don't think he went that far," said Riku, "for all we know, Ryan truly believes that a nuclear war is still coming."

"Well, I don't want to still be here when the bombs start falling," said Calvin, "let's get a move on."

"I want to check in with Sora and the others before we go," said Aiden as he pulled out his cell phone.

"What kind of radio is that?" Rachael asked.

"The kind that does a lot more than make calls," said Aiden as he hit Sora's speed dial number, "Sora, you guys okay?"

* * *

…**Farmer's Market…**

"We're fine, Aiden," said Sora as he, Tess, Malcolm, Liza, Chrissie and Travis, headed through the area towards the nearest rail siding, "things were really rough for a while, but we're alright."

"Rough?!" exclaimed Malcolm, "we just ran through a room full of bees! Look at me! I'm covered in bee stings!"

"Hey, we got stung too, you know!" said Liza as she, Chrissie and Travis rubbed insect sting salve on their skin, then handed the salve to Malcolm, "just be glad that none of us are allergic."

"I'm just glad that the bees were just as aggressive towards the Splicers," said Chrissie.

"And be glad that I'm almost as good a hacker as Rachael," said Travis.

"Thank goodness," said Sora, "luring those Big Daddies into Security Turrets and Bot traps really evened the odds."

"You freed all the Little Sisters in Arcadia?" Aiden asked over the cellphone.

"And the Farmer's Market," said Sora, "and all it took was a couple of bee stings and a few more close calls."

"At this rate," said Malcolm, "we'll be done in no time."

"That's easy for you to say," said a thoroughly miserable Tess as she scratched a several rashes on her face and arms, "you're not the one who ran into a patch of poison ivy! Seriously, who's the bastard who brought poison ivy to the bottom of the ocean?! And how come you've got bug salve and nothing for poison ivy!?"

"Hey, at least you didn't get it anywhere else," said Travis.

"Go to hell," muttered Tess as she scratched behind her ears.

"Stop that," said Malcolm, "it'll only make it worse."

"I'd like to see you get poison ivy and not scratch," said Tess, "I'm so pissed, I could wipe out ten-thousand Heartless without breathing hard!"

Sora was about to respond when Chrissie's radio crackled and from it came Atlas's voice.

"Well now, you lot certainly have been stirring up trouble for Ryan, about time I say. But if you want some advice from an expert on Rapture, if you're going to take down Ryan, you'll need a lot more ADAM than what you're getting from simply rescuing those little abominations."

"We're not doing this for you, Atlas," said Chrissie irately.

"And those 'freaks' as you call them," said Tess, "they're children with heats and souls. We're giving them back what was taken from them; their humanity."

"A lost cause," said Atlas, "you can take the conditioning out of a Little Sister and smash her Big Daddy, but deep down, she'll always be a monster with a slug in her belly."

"I'm starting to dislike you, Atlas," said Sora, "you claim to be on the side of the oppressed, the poor and downtrodden of Rapture. Well, those girls that got turned into Little Sisters, they too are oppressed. Dr. Tenenbaum was the only one who fought for them until we came."

"So the good doctor has recruited you with her bleeding heart story," said Atlas, "it still won't help you get out of this underwater hellhole without my help."

"I'd say we're doing just fine without you, thank you very much," said Chrissie.

"Aye, you've been lucky so far," said Atlas, "You think you've faced the worst Rapture has to offer? You haven't seen anything yet. Splicers and Big Daddies are nothing compared to what you'll find in Fort Frolic."

"How do you know where we're going?" Sora asked, "are you spying on us?"

"How are you watching us?" Travis asked, "I've been hacking every Security Camera we've come across."

"You honestly think that Security Cameras are the only ways Ryan has for keeping an eye on things in Rapture?" Atlas asked, "I've got my own ways too. Believe me when I say that Fort Frolic is a place you want to stay away from. That's Sander Cohen's territory."

"He's still alive?" Chrissie asked, "I saw him perform Christmas Eve, 1958. It was a terrible show."

"And he remembers every bad review he's ever had," said Atlas, "before and after he came down here. Cohen's madder than your average Splicer, and twice as crafty. I'll say it again, you want a chance of getting out alive, you'll need my help."

"I'll bet you said that to the people who started the war on New Years Eve, 1958," said Liza, "you offered to make things better and wound up murdering a lot of good people. Go to hell."

"Oh for…children!" said an exasperated Atlas, "you're both incredibly brave and incredibly stupid. I'll call you back if you manage to get away from Cohen." At that the radio clicked out.

"What a pisser!" said Aiden over the cell phone.

"You heard that?" Tess asked.

"Every word," said Rachael, "Atlas may be a manipulative liar, but he told the truth about Cohen. That man's as dangerous as they come and then some."

"You guys be careful in Fort Frolic," said Calvin, "and if you run into that has-been turned psychopath, Cohen, run and don't stop."

"We'll be careful," said Sora. At that the phonecall ended.

"I take it that Cohen isn't the type to turn your back on," said Malcolm as they reached the entrance to the rail siding.

"Nobody's been able to turn their back on anyone in Rapture for a long time," said Chrissie as they climbed aboard the handcar and began pumping towards the next city section.

* * *

They soon reached and entered Fort Frolic which, according to Chrissie and the others, used to be a hub for entertainment; gambling, recreational drugs, art and theater.

"A lot more happened here than what's advertised," said Travis, "or so I'm told, my folks never let me come here."

"And with good reason," said Liza as she and the others looked at the various signs of death, destruction and decay in what once was a place of life, music and laughter. Our heroes soon found themselves in what was the center of Fort Frolic, a large open space with a double staircase in the middle facing a stage. Atop the stairs lay a circular promenade lined with shops and the entrance to a theater.

"This place gives me the creeps!" said Tess in a nervous tone as she and the others looked around.

"At least you're not scratching anymore," said Sora.

"Thanks for reminding me," said Tess irately as she furiously scratched at her hands.

"We should have run into at least some Splicers by now," said Chrissie, "where are they?"

"Away from us," said Travis, "let's just find those Little Sisters and get out of here."

"Couldn't agree more," said Malcolm.

"Wait!" said Liza, "I smell pheromones!"

"Ryan again!" snapped Chrissie as they all clustered together, keeping a wary eye out for any movement. Yet there was no sign of any Splicers.

"Where are they?" Travis asked nervously.

Just then Sora felt something fall onto his shoulder. He looked up and saw a flash of metal disappear into a hole in the ceiling, followed by a small shower of dust.

"Oh no," said Chrissie as she and the others looked up, "it's _those _kind of Splicers."

"What kind of Splicers?" Sora asked.

"You've seen Splicers with bludgeons, guns and even bombs," said Chrissie, "but have you ever seen a Splicer that can crawl up the walls?"

Jut then over a dozen Splicers came crawling out of holes in the walls and ceiling, each carrying two hooked blades and all gibbering nonsense as they rushed at Sora and the others.

**"STOP!"**

At that all the Splicers froze in place, waiting to be unleashed upon Sora and the others.

**"Well now," **said the commanding voice, a man with a theatrical tone with an unbalanced edge**, "what have we here? A flock of sparrows seeking to roost in the rafters of my domain. How…interesting."**

"Are you Sander Cohen?" Tess asked, "because we really don't have time to play around."

**"Playing?" **Sander Cohen asked, **"who said anything about playing? I merely wish to get to know you young sparrows, to see if I can be…inspired by you."**

"You find us inspiring," said Chrissie, "did you say that to the people you murdered?"

**"I wouldn't say murdered," **remarked Sander Cohen, "**I merely…transformed…my subjects. I brought out their potential and immortalized them in art."**

At that Sora and the others noticed various plaster of paris statues, each in a different pose.

"Don't let your guard down, Sora," said Chrissie through gritted teeth, "because if what I heard is true, then each statue used to be a living person."

"No," said a disbelieving Sora, "it can't be."

"It's true," said Tess, "I know the scent of death when I smell it, and it's coming from those statues!"

"Is that what you're going to do to us, Cohen!?" Malcolm asked irately, "turn us into plaster statues?!"

**"Only if you displease me, young sparrow,"** said Sander Cohen, **"for the moment, consider yourselves my guests."**

At that the waiting Splicers all gracefully flipped and cartwheeled away from our heroes, crawling up the walls into the holes they emerged from.

**"I know of the task you younglings have been set on," **said Sander Cohen, **"the good Doctor Tenenbaum, ah…what would I give to have her as a subject. Alas, the muses are as fickle as the fates. Instead of the good doctor, I have six fledgling heroes on a quest to liberate the Little Sisters."**

"We don't have time for this crap," muttered Tess.

**"I'm afraid you'll have to make the time, sparrow!" **said Sander Cohen in an irate tone, **"because you're not flying out of this coop so easily!"**

At that our heroes heard the sound of a metal hatch closing.

"The rail siding!" exclaimed Chrissie. At that she and the others hurried back to the secret door, only to find that the door had been shit and locked from the inside.

"The Bathysphere Station!" said Travis, "come on!"

**"You'll find that the Bathyspheres are currently out of service,"** said Sander Cohen, **"everything that enters Fort Frolic is under my command, and neither Atlas, Ryan or the good doctor can interfere."**

"You're sick, mister!" said Sora, "sick and nuts!"

**"One man's lunatic is another's genius, young sparrow," **said Sander Cohen, **"and unless you and your fellow sparrows ever wish to fly again, you'll become my subjects. The muses are upon me, urging to me to create my magnum opus, and as fate would have it, six intriguing young men and women have entered my realm. It's divine providence that you're here."**

"And if we refuse?" Malcolm asked, "if we don't become your artistic subjects?"

**"Oh, but you will be,"** said Sander Cohen, **"one way or another. For if you will not allow me to immortalize you on canvas, I'll immortalize you another way, one far less pleasant."**

At that Sora looked at the plaster statues that used to be living people, "looks like we're going to art school, guys," he said to Tess and the others.

"I never was good at painting," muttered Malcolm.

**The End of Chapter 4.**

_Next chapter finds Sora and the others realizing just how much of a madman Sander Cohen really is, and then some. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	6. Chapter 5: A Dance on Canvas

_Last time found our heroes trying to decide which of them would receive the Rescue Plasmid from Dr. Tenenbaum that would allow the user to 'cure' the Little Sisters, all in order to receive Dr. Tenebaum's help in locating the missing power in Rapture. Riku received the Plasmid and with that, our heroes and allies split up to liberate The Little Sisters. But then Sora's group found themselves trapped in Fort Frollic, lair of the mad entertainer Sander Cohen. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 5: A Dance on Canvas**

"You're sick, mister!" said Sora, "sick and nuts!"

**"One man's lunatic is another's genius, young sparrow," **said Sander Cohen, **"and unless you and your fellow sparrows ever wish to fly again, you'll become my subjects. The muses are upon me, urging to me to create my magnum opus, and as fate would have it, six intriguing young men and women have entered my realm. It's divine providence that you're here."**

"And if we refuse?" Malcolm asked, "if we don't become your artistic subjects?"

**"Oh, but you will be," **said Sander Cohen, **"one way or another. For if you will not allow me to immortalize you on canvas, I'll immortalize you another way, one far less pleasant."**

At that Sora looked at the plaster statues that used to be living people, "looks like we're going to art school, guys," he said to Tess and the others.

"I never was good at painting," muttered Malcolm. "So, what do we do now?"

**"All will be explained once you're in the central gallery," **said Sander Cohen, **"oh, and before I forget, be so kind as to deposit your weapons on the floor? We don't want any accidental discharges during the creative process, do we?"**

Sora then saw a Spider Splicer wheel up a cart and stopped in front of our heroes.

"What now?" Travis asked in an anxious whisper.

"We have to cooperate," said Malcolm.

"The hell we do!" said Liza, "there's no way I'm giving up my stuff."

"I'd say we try to make a break for it," said Tess.

"We can't," said Chrissie, "Cohen's sealed off the rail siding and locked the Bathyspheres."

"We have to do something," said Sora.

**"What's that you're chittering, little sparrows?" **Sander Cohen asked, **"I'm a man of many secrets, but I find it most irksome when my subjects keep secrets from me."**

"He's just one lunatic," said Liza irately, "we can take him!"

"But he could be anywhere in Fort Frolic and we'd never find him," said Chrissie, "and he can call up his Splicers any time he wants."

"If we play his game, we have a chance," said Malcolm, "we cooperate, he'll let us go."

"What if he doesn't?" Liza asked, "What if he decides to kill us no matter what we do?"

"Then we'd at least have done something," said Malcolm.

**"I'm a patient man," **said Sander Cohen in an annoyed tone, **"but my patience only goes so far, as does my inspiration! The last thing you impudent brats want is to upset inspiration, now put your fucking weapons in the basket and make haste to the fucking central gallery!"**

"Alright, already, jeez!" said Malcolm, "we'll do it, already." He then dropped his M16-form Keyblade into the cart.

"Have you lost it or something!" exclaimed Tess, "I…oh…oh! Okay, I get it now." She then dropped her shotgun-form Keyblade into the cart, while Sora did the same with his P90-form Keyblade.

"I don't know what's gotten into your heads," said Chrissie, "but I trust you." She then put her weapons onto the cart, then Travis did the same with his.

"You're crazy, all of you!" said Liza.

"We've still got our Plasmids, remember?" Travis muttered.

"Oh, right," said Liza in a subdued tone, "you're still crazy, but…it seems we have no choice at this time," she then put her weapons onto the cart.

**"Splendid!" **said Sander Cohen in a joyful tone as the Splicer with the cart walked out with the weapons, **"now, let's not dawdle and tempt the muses, so make haste to the central gallery!"**

"Whatever he's got planned, we can still turn the tables on him," said Malcolm in a hushed tone as our heroes walked back to the central area, "especially you, Tess."

"What…oh, right," said Tess, "I can still turn invisible."

"You can?!" an amazed Chrissie asked, "I heard there was a Gene Tonic that can make you blend in with your surroundings like a…like a…what was that animal called? The one that changes color?"

"A chameleon?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, that's it!" said Chrissie, "there's a Gene Tonic that works like a chameleon, but it only works when you stand still."

"Well, that doesn't make sense," said Tess, "what good is it if you're invisible but only if you stand still? How can you assassinate someone if you can't move?"

**"Oh, questions, questions, questions,"** said Cohen as our heroes reached the central gallery to find a circular platform had been positioned on the stage, illuminated by two powerful spotlights.

**"I sometimes forget that it is in the nature of the young to question,"** said Cohen, **"and it is the wise whom are to answer; the educators, the leaders, the artists."**

"You clearly want to use us in your art, Cohen," said Travis, "but for what?"

"It'd make us more at ease if we could see the artist at work," said Malcolm.

"Yeah, come out from behind the curtain, wizard!" said Liza, "prove that you're not the humbug everyone says you are!"

**"Ah, The Wizard of Oz," **said Cohen, **"what a masterpiece of the cinema. Every aspect of that film was perfect, except for Dorothy. I could never stand Judy Garland. Now, Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch, now there's the true star."**

"Are you gonna talk about old movies all day?" Tess asked, "I thought we were gonna make some art, so show yourself already."

**"You want me!?" **exclaimed Cohen, "**you want Sander fucking Cohen!? Here I Am!"**

A spotlight appeared at the top of the staircase, followed by a loud BANG and a puff of smoke, from which appeared a man wearing a moth-eaten suit and bowtie. His face was concealed by a white rabbit mask. Music could be heard as the man descended the stairs, while multi-colored confetti popped out from the railing.

"Well now," said Cohen as he walked up to Sora and the others, "I must say that you young sparrows are much more intriguing in person." He then looked at Tess, "especially you, my dear, you with such a…colorful history. Tell me, how close were you to losing your soul when they did what they did to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Chrissie asked.

"It's nothing," said Tess irately, "he's just messing with us," she then glared at Cohen, "you've got us here, so what do you want from us?"

"Merely…a dance," said Cohen as a pair of Spider Splicers brought over an easel with a large canvas on it, while another brought over a cart filled with paints, brushes and an artist's pallet.

"A dance?" Liza asked, "you locked us in here with who knows how many Splicers, all for a dance?!"

"I think he wants to paint us dancing," said Malcolm.

At that Liza smiled, "well, why didn't you say so, Mr. Cohen? I love dancing!" She then hopped onto the stage and did a few tap steps, "my dad taught me."

"Good heavens! No!" exclaimed Cohen, "I've seen enough tap dancing on Broadway to last a lifetime. No, what I want from you all is a waltz."

At that Liza frowned, "oh, I'm not so good at waltzing."

"That's okay, Liza," said Travis, "I'll lead," that that he got onto the stage, grabbed Liza's hand and twirled her around.

"Splendid!" said Cohen happily as he stood in front of his easel and took up a pallet and brush, "kindly step onto the platform and we can begin. Maestro!"

At that Sora and the others could hear waltz music.

"Dance, my little sparrows!" exclaimed Cohen joyfully, "dance for the sake of the eternal!"

"You heard the man, let's dance," said Travis as he took Liza's left hand and placed his other hand around her waist. With that they began dancing to the music.

"Yes…yes!" exclaimed Cohen as he began painting, furiously striking the canvas with his brush, "feel the music down to your bones and let lose your soul! Give yourself to the muse!"

Sora then noticed Chrissie was eyeing Tess, whom then eyed a piece of metal a few yards away on the ground. The piece of metal was no bigger than a car key but had a sharp point. Tess gave a slight nod and began edging towards the metal shard.

"OW!" exclaimed Travis as Liza accidentally stepped on his foot.

"Sorry!" said Liza, "I told you I wasn't good at the waltz."

"It's alright," said Travis, "just keep your eyes on me." Two seconds later he winced in pain as Liza stepped on his foot again.

"I'm so sorry!" said a highly embarrassed Liza, "I have to look at my feet." She then looked down.

"NO!" shouted Cohen, "don't you dare look down, young lady! You're spoiling the image!"

"How many times do I have to say it?!" Liza asked irately, "I'm no good at the waltz!"

"Then what the hell are you doing on my stage!?" exclaimed Cohen as he furiously dropped his pallet and brush, "you dare to mock my muse!?" he then snapped his fingers.

Instantly, the platform lit up with electricity. Liza and Travis screamed in agony as thousands of volts passed through their body. The electrification lasted for five seconds before turning off. Both Liza and Travis gasped as they passed out and tumbled off the stage.

"No!" cried Chrissie as she, Malcolm, Sora and Tess rushed to Liza and Travis.

"Are they…?" Sora asked.

"They're alive," said Malcolm, "just unconscious."

"You monster!" exclaimed Tess as Cohen, "what kind of artist are you?!"

"The kind that has no tolerance for failure," said Cohen, "I've had so many disappointments in my life, before and after I came to Rapture, so many missed opportunities to satisfy my muse. Why…I remember an exceptionally unique couple; a man and a lovely young lady, both of them not of this world, in more ways than one. Yet even they turned out to be a disappointment. Well? Why hasn't the next pair started dancing yet?!" he then grabbed his brush and pointed at Malcolm and Chrissie, "you two! Onto the platform! And may the muses help you if you turn out to be another disappointment."

"Uh…I can't dance," said Malcolm as he looked at the platform with nervous eyes.

"What do you mean you can't dance?" Chrissie asked as she got onto the platform, "it's easy enough."

"Not for me it isn't," said Malcolm, "I've got two left feet."

"You're not that clumsy," said Sora.

"Oh really?" Malcolm asked. He then indicated his feet, "I'm amazed none of you guys noticed by now."

"I'll be damned," said an astonished Chrissie, while an equally astonished Tess rubbed her eyes to check that she wasn't seeing things.

Sora looked and saw to his surprise that Malcolm did indeed have two left feet.

"How'd…? Why…? How…?" Sora tried to ask.

"Believe me, I wasn't born like this," said Malcolm, "you can thank my not quite evil but by no means good cousin Zania. She thought it'd be funny to hex me just before my 9th birthday. I had to go to physical therapy to learn how to walk again for my birthday, my cousin got the spanking of a lifetime."

"Can't you break the hex?" Tess asked.

"My family and a lot of doctors have been trying for years but no dice," said Malcolm, "whatever Zania did, it's permanent, and believe me, we've tried to get her to break her hex."

"There's no such thing as magic," said Liza in a groggy tone as she and Travis slowly woke up.

"Oh, but there is, little one," said Cohen, "there's magic all around, if you know what to look for. But enough tomfoolery. Now," he then glared at Malcolm and Chrissie, "I don't care if you have two left feet and two right hands! Get onto the platform! The eternal will not be kept waiting and neither will I!"

At that Sora noticed that several Spider Splicers had gathered in the area, some of them brandishing their hooked blades and chattering nonsense as they waited for Cohen's signal to attack.

"Just try, Malcolm," said Chrissie, "what's the worse that can happen?"

"I screw up and we both get zapped," said Malcolm as he reluctantly got onto the platform with Chrissie, "so don't hate me."

"Like I could hate a friend," said Chrissie as she made Malcolm take her by the hand and put his other hand around her waist, "whenever you're ready, Mr. Cohen."

"That's the spirit!" said Cohen eagerly, "Maestro! Music!"

At that the waltz music started up again, "Dance!" cried Cohen as he took up his pallet again, "Dance for the muses!"

"Okay, here we go," said Malcolm as he took a bracing breath. He and Chrissie took a step, but then Malcolm tripped and fell down, taking Chrissie with him.

"NO! WRONG! IT'S ALL WRONG!" exclaimed Cohen.

"I'm sorry!" said Malcolm, "I…"

"I WILL NOT BE MADE A FOOL OF!" shouted Cohen. He then snapped his fingers again, causing the platform to be electrified. Chrissie and Malcolm cried out in agony as electricity coursed through them. The voltage stopped and they both collapsed off of the stage.

"You son of a bitch!" snapped Tess. She then lunged at and grabbed the metal shard, only to have five Spider Splicers close in on her.

"There will be no violence in my presence," said Cohen.

"Except for the kind you cause?" Sora asked irately as he too found himself surrounded by Spider Splicers.

"Every great artist is granted some violent leeway," said Cohen.

"What you call leeway," said Riku as he, Aiden, Calvin, Joshua, Rachael and Sidney, walked into the central gallery, "I call irresponsible behavior!"

"Riku!" said Sora.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Cohen, "how dare you meddling brats intrude upon my presence uninvited!?"

"How'd you guys get here?" Tess asked as she and Sora helped Malcolm, Chrissie, Liza and Travis back up, "I thought the area was locked."

"Not every way was locked," said Aiden.

"It's quite simple actually," said Sidney, "I've been monitoring you and the others, Sora, ever since you left _The Intrepid Heart_."

"You should see their sub!" said Joshua to Liza, Chrissie and Travis, "it's incredible! Their technology's eons ahead of ours! Especially their talking computer, she's amazing!"

"Oh, you flatter me," said Sidney as her avatar blushed, "anyway, the second this maniac locked you in," she pointed an accusing finger at Cohen, "I knew you needed rescuing, but I still had to keep my shields up, so no using the transport. I then called Riku, docked at the nearest airlock and drove over to Fort Frolic."

"You may have sealed off the rail sidings and locked out the Bathyspheres, Cohen!" said Calvin, "but you forgot about the emergency airlocks!"

"Is that so?" Cohen asked, "as a matter of fact," he then placed one hand under his chin in a contemplative manner, "for some time I've had this nagging thought that I forgot something. No wonder I've been so frustrated lately. Oh, well, now that you all are here, I can complete my magnum opus without further distractions."

"I don't think so," said Sora, "we're not dancing for you, especially not on an electric platform."

"In that case, I have other backgrounds we can use," said Cohen, "I'll need a few minutes to prepare the acid tank and razor pendulums."

"Didn't you hear what Sora said?" Tess asked, "we're not modeling for you!"

"We've got a way out of Fort Frolic and you can't stop us," said Aiden, "Oh, Sora? We took care of the Little Sisters on the way here."

"It wasn't easy," said Rachael, "I had to switch out one of my Plasmids to do it, but we did it."

"And just how did you do that?" Cohen asked, "And just how do you expect to escape?"

"The same way we rescued all the Little Sisters in Fort Frolic without firing a shot!" said Rachael. She then put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly.

Almost instantly everyone felt a tremendous pounding through the floor and a chorus of whale groaning as eight Big Daddies, three Bouncers and five Rosies, rushed into the area, all of them having green glowing eye plates. The friendly Big Daddies then began fighting the Spider Splicers.

"We hypnotized every Big Daddy in Fort Frolic" said Joshua, "while also blocking the air vents so the Little Sisters couldn't run and hide."

"They put up a heck of a fight," said Riku as he showed several bite marks on his arms and a few scratches on his face, "but we freed them."

"And made a few friends in the process," said Aiden as he watched the Big Daddies massacre the Spider Splicers, "you know, when they're not escorting mutated little girls and out to rip you to shreds, they're kinda cool."

"We'll just be going now, Mr. Cohen," said Chrissie, "it's been a lovely evening, but we must be on our way."

"I beg your pardon!" said Cohen, "you cannot leave, I have not yet finished my magnum opus. Leaving is simply not an option."

"It is and we're taking it," said Sora.

"See you in hell, Cohen!" said Travis as our heroes turned to leave.

But then a fireball landed in front of them, stopping Sora and the others in their tracks.

"You dare turn your backs on me!" exclaimed Cohen, "You impudent, culturally-impotent brats! How dare you! How fucking dare you! No one walks out on Sander Cohen! NO ONE!" he then vanished in a burst of red smoke that was almost like blood.

"He's a Houdini Splicer!" exclaimed Liza. She then ducked a fireball from above, then looked up as Cohen teleported away.

"When were you going to tell us that some Splicers could teleport?!" exclaimed Malcolm.

"Sorry, I forgot," said Liza.

"We're going to have to work on our communication skills," said Malcolm as he summoned his Keyblade, while Sora and Tess did the same. They then ducked an explosion as two of the Rosie Big daddies were destroyed, followed by all three Bouncers.

"I think we made him mad," said Rachael.

"Gee, is it that obvious?" Joshua asked

"I'M SANDER FUCKING COHEN!" shouted the mad artist as he shot more fireballs at our heroes and teleported to another part of the area, "THE MUSES WILL NOT BE DENIED!"

"Oh shut up already!" shouted Travis as he grabbed one of the rivet guns from a fallen Rosie. He then watched and waited, then aimed and fired at a seemingly empty area, just as Cohen teleported in. The rivet hit Cohen right between the eyes of his mask, leaving a bloody hole in the white rabbit face.

"My masterpiece," said Cohen as he took off his mask, revealing his face for everyone to see, "my magnum opus, denied." He then fell off the balcony onto the floor, stone dead.

"Someone check him," said Joshua in a breathless tone.

"You check him," said Rachael irately.

"I'll check him," said Calvin as his hand froze over with ice, ready to use the ice-based Plasmid at a second's notice. He edged towards Cohen's body and nudged it with his shoe, then nudged it again, "he's dead."

Just then Cohen came screaming back to life and tried to grab Calvin by the throat, only to be frozen solid when Calvin punched him in the face.

"Here's some art for you," said Rachael as she walked up to the frozen Cohen with her wrenches raised, "Artist On Ice," she then bashed the frozen madman with her wrenches, shattering Cohen into countless pieces.

"And that's that," said Rachael. "So much for Sander Cohen."

"And our new allies," said Joshua as he and the others saw that Cohen's final outburst had destroyed all the hypnotized Big Daddies.

"Oh man, I really liked them," said a disappointed Aiden, "they weren't evil, just misused by the bastards who created them."

"At least they're no longer suffering," said Malcolm.

"While ours goes on and on," said Rachael.

Just then Chrissie's radio crackled and from it came Ryan's voice.

"So, you destroyed Sander Cohen," said Ryan, "you snuffed out a bright light of artistic genius, making the world that much more dark."

"Oh please," said Atlas's voice as it came from Joshua's radio, "Cohen was a loon, just one more nutcase you brought here in your underwater asylum, Ryan."

"There are those whom view paradise as a prison," said Ryan, "when they in fact know nothing of freedom."

"Freedom? You call living in this underwater hellhole freedom!?" exclaimed Atlas, "where the powerful exploit the weak to where there's almost no hope and decency for the common man? You've trapped us all down here, Ryan! Trapped with the money-grubbing fatcats and slave masters!"

"Where as you and your predecessor would allow Rapture to be overrun by the parasites of the surface!" snapped Ryan, "you would allow the life of my city to be sucked dry by government bureaucracy, religious fanaticism and worthless men seeking a handout! There's no place in Rapture for those whom seek to live off other men while contributing no value themselves!"

"You would let a starving man die than give him a crust of bread and a bowl of soup!" snapped Atlas.

"I don't even know why we're still listening to you two idiots!" said Sora irately, "don't you realize what you've done with all your hate and anger! You've destroyed a wondrous city and its people! All that's left is a rusting and leaking pile of scrap, psychotic drug addicts and a handful of good people who only want to live!"

"And we will live!" said Chrissie, "we're leaving your failure of a utopia, Mr. Ryan! We're leaving and we're not coming back!"

"NO!" snapped Ryan, "no one can leave Rapture! The risk of the surface world learning of Rapture's existence is too great!"

"Let the outside world come!" said Chrissie, "let them come and see what a fabulous, fucking disaster Rapture is! You two want to stay and fight over the pathetic remains, be my guest. As for me, my friends and Dr. Tenenbaum, we're leaving, just as soon as we finish rescuing the remaining Little Sisters."

"So you two can take your ADAM and shove it up your asses!" said Liza.

"If you're leaving, you're taking the rest of us with you!" said Atlas.

"No one is leaving!" snapped Ryan.

"You mean the other survivors?" Travis asked.

"What other survivors?" Riku asked, "I thought you guys and the rest of Dr. Tenenbaum's group were the only ones still sane."

"There's a handful of others scattered throughout Rapture," said Chrissie, "two here, three there, some isolated individuals."

"We try to help whenever we run into them," said Rachael, "but they mostly want to be left alone to wallow in their misery."

"And when we insist that they come with us where it's safer," said Joshua, "they either run away or try to kill us. They're too scared and complacent with their lot in life to imagine another way out."

"You can't leave them!" said Atlas, "they're good people whom only want a chance."

"We've given every chance and they shove them in our faces!" said Liza, "if they want to stay and die in Rapture, let them!"

"That's inhuman!" said Atlas, "it's your sacred duty as human beings to help those whom can't help themselves!"

"You mean we have no choice but to help those whom choose not to help themselves," said Tess, "is that what you want from us? To risk our lives for a bunch of ungrateful cowards?"

"Where as you, Mr. Ryan," said Aiden, "you'd have everyone for themselves, dog eat dog, law of the jungle."

"That's the problem with you two," said Riku, "you're so blinded by your ideologies and your own personal hatreds, you couldn't even find a happy medium upon which you could agree upon."

"We'll save those that can be saved," said Sora, "and leave those whom refuse our help. We won't risk our lives for those without even an ounce of common sense."

"I assume Dr. Tenenbaum is among those you're going to save," said Atlas.

"Damn right we're saving Dr. T!" exclaimed Liza.

"We'd be more than happy to take you with us, Atlas," said Tess, "you too, Ryan, but we're afraid that you'll just end up murdering each other."

"I'll never leave Rapture!" snapped Ryan, "and neither will any of you! I'd rather destroy Rapture than allow it to fall into the hands of the parasite!"

"You spiteful old fool!" snapped Chrissie, "you'd really do it? Destroy the city than let a few desperate people reach for a chance at a better life?"

"He would and he could," said Atlas, "Ryan rigged the city with a self-destruct mechanism that's coded to his own genetic makeup. All he has to do is press the right buttons, throw the right switches and so on, and BOOM goes Rapture. Listen to me, all of you. I'm the only one who knows how to stop Ryan from destroying the city. If you're serious about escaping, you need my help!"

"I wouldn't be so quick to accept his offer if I were you, Sora," said Sidney in a mischievous tone, as if she had a secret she wanted to tell but was holding back for dramatic effect.

"As if we would work with such a manipulative monster," said Sora, "but what do you know, Sidney?"

"It's what I've determined, that's what," said Sidney, "I may be here in appearance," she then indicated her earrings that where in fact her portable holographic projectors, "but my digital brain has been at work scanning and studying Rapture. This city has many secrets, many scientific projects well in advance of the normal technology associated with this timeline. It's amazing what a bunch of brilliant minds can do without government and religious restraints.

"A lot of good ideas have born fruit, as well as many bad and sickening ideas; the Little Sisters and Big Daddies for example, while the geothermal plant powering Rapture is a very good idea. On the other hand, the subspace disturbance that's been playing havoc on my systems and your powers, that's the result of a very bad idea."

"What kind of very bad idea?" Aiden asked.

"The kind that forced open a doorway to a parallel universe," said Sidney, "I'm still analyzing the data, but apparently an earlier experiment created a doorway to another dimension, to an alternate timeline that lead to an incredible exchange of ideas and technology."

"How are you getting this info?" Riku asked, "it's not like the computers of this era can be hacked into."

"My scanners can read paper documents and listen to tape recordings even through solid walls," said Sidney, "though I can only scan one document and tape at a time, I can scan each in the blink of an eye. Anyway, about the dimensional doorway experiment, while the experiment to the other timeline was a success, the creation of another doorway resulted in rupturing the fabric of space and time, altering the very makeup of this reality, and it's slowly getting worse. Again, I'm still analyzing the data, but the sooner we get away from Rapture, the better for everyone."

"Then let's finish what we came for," said Malcolm, "rescuing the Little Sisters so Dr. Tenenbaum can help us find the missing power."

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Ryan asked.

"They're talking about that strange glowing object one of the Little Sisters found not too long ago," said Atlas, "she brought it to Dr. Tenenbaum for safe keeping."

"You mean Dr. Tenenbaum has the missing power?!" exclaimed Aiden, "she had it the whole time!?"

"No, she doesn't!" insisted Chrissie, "Atlas is obviously lying."

"Why would I lie to you about this?" Atlas asked, "Why would I lie to you about anything? I'm the only one in Rapture you can truly trust."

At that Sidney laughed, "you've been lying to everyone ever since you first showed up, Atlas, or should I say…Frank Fontaine."

"What?!" Ryan exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Joshua asked, "Frank Fontaine's been dead for years."

"I assume that's what he wanted you to think," said Sidney, "but evidence doesn't lie. That's the other thing I wanted to tell you. Aside from the tape recordings of the experiments, I've been listening to a lot of personal audio diaries. It's fascinating, when you put it all together, you get a picture of how good things were in Rapture and how bad things went to hell."

"This…this is all nonsense," said Atlas, "I'm not Frank Fontaine, he's dead!"

"Deny it all you like, the facts don't lie," said Sidney, "Frank Fontaine made a few audio diaries among the hundreds scattered all over Rapture. Seriously, there's tape recorders full of memories everywhere. Anyway, after hearing the recorded voice of Frank Fontaine and listen to Atlas's ramblings, I've come to the irrefutable, indisputable, incontestable and incontrovertible conclusion that Atlas is Frank Fontaine."

"That would make some sense," said Joshua, "Fontaine fakes his death and becomes Atlas in order to stir up more trouble."

"As if he wasn't causing enough trouble as it was as Fontaine," said Travis.

"It…it cannot be," said Ryan, "how can Fontaine be alive?"

At that Atlas started laughing maliciously, his accent changing from that of an Irishman to that of one from New Jersey, "you always were blind to the obvious, Ryan," said Atlas, now Frank Fontaine.

"So, you are alive!" said Ryan coldly, "and I never suspected a thing!"

"Okay, so Atlas is Fontaine," said Sora, "how does that help us?"

"Uh…it really doesn't," said Sidney, "just thought it'd be something interesting for you to know."

"You're right about one thing," said Fontaine, "exposing my little secret doesn't help you at all. I could have helped you get out of Rapture, and walk away with some serious compensation. You had your chance at a piece of the pie, but you blew it."

"It makes little difference!" said Ryan, "I'll still destroy the city before I ever let you or anyone else have it, Fontaine!"

"I figured you'd do that if pushed hard enough," said Fontaine, "you've got your trump card, but I've got one of mine too."

"You think you can intimidate me?" Ryan asked, "go ahead and send your army of parasites against me! My defenses are impregnable!"

"Oh, I know all about how you've sealed yourself in your office upstairs from Hephaestus," said Fontaine, "how the locks are electronically controlled from the inside and only your genetic code can open them. But what good is all that security if the power were to suddenly go off?"

"What are you talking about?" Rachael asked, "you wouldn't shut off the power in Rapture. Without electricity, there'd be no lights, no heat, no air circulation and refreshment."

"Everyone in Rapture would either suffocate or freeze to death," said Joshua.

"Don't forget the pumps that keep the water out," said Travis, "while the air systems keep the pressure inside Rapture up. We'd either drown or be crushed when the outside pressure overcomes the city's structural integrity."

"Either way you look at it, we're finish if Atlas…I mean Fontaine shuts off the power," said Liza.

"Which is why you'll let me and mine in, Ryan," said Atlas, "you're gonna hand over the means to transfer genetic control of Rapture over to me."

"Never!" snapped Ryan.

"Don't push me, Ryan!" snapped Fontaine, "I've invested too much time and energy into this to stop now. I've got an EMP device ready to short out the geothermal reactors. I give the word and it's lights out in Rapture! Oh, there's emergency batteries to keep the air and heat going, but not the electronic locks on your office, Ryan! One way or another, I'm coming for that genetic key of yours!"

"You're bluffing," said Ryan.

"Am I?" Fontaine asked.

A few seconds later everyone felt the floor and walls shudder violently and the lights flicker, then go out. Emergency lights came on a few seconds later, but Sora and the others knew that something was drastically wrong.

"I never bluff when I don't have to," said Fontaine.

"Well, this sucks," said Malcolm.

* * *

…**Castle Oblivion…**

"I'll say it sucks," said Dio Brando as he and the other villains watched the unfolding events in Rapture via the Interocitor, "death by freezing, no air, drowning or crushing? I don't know which one to root for!"

"My money's on drowning," said Gaston.

"Oh, we're making wagers?" Lady Tremaine asked, "put me down for suffocation."

"Put me down for fifty gold pieces for drowning," said Gaston.

"I'll see your fifty gold pieces and raise you thirty," said Lady Tremaine.

"Seventy-five gold pieces on crushing," said Sephiroth.

"I'll see your seventy-five," said Insano, "and raise you a hundred on freezing and they start to eat each other to survive!"

"Save your money," said Regina dryly, "haven't you all figured it out by now that Sora and his friends lead charmed lives? They're going to survive this crisis. I don't know how, but they'll survive, as well as save a lot of innocent lies."

"How many innocent lies?" Lady Tremaine asked, "twenty gold pieces say they save only half the survivors of Rapture."

"Thirty that they only save those six mutant brats they've made friends with," said Gaston.

"Fifty that they're all killed by Splicers!" said Dio Brando.

"Fifty-five that they all get out," said Insano, "but one of the Rapture brats turns traitor and kills at least one other."

"Where are you getting these ideas?" Sephiroth asked.

"As if you have to ask," said Insano, he then laughed like the madman he was.

"You're still wasting your money," said Regina, "Sora and the others will survive. Even if we were to travel to Rapture and make their miserable lives even more miserable, they'll still pull off some kind of miracle and live to fight another day."

She sighed and stood up, "you know, it's almost enough to make me want to give up villainy and retire to quiet obscurity."

"You're not serious, are you?" Young Xehanort asked.

"Of course I'm not serious!" snapped Regina, "I'm just frustrated," she then rubbed her forehead, "and I'm getting one devil of a headache."

"Well, then," said Columbina as she sauntered up to Regina, "I have news that may just make your head feel better. Bethany's metamorphoses is nearing its completion. Soon, very soon, she shall emerge from the chrysalis and take her place as a Princess of Dark!"

"Already?" Regina asked, "one would think that such a transformation would take several days at the minimum."

"It's an accelerated metamorphoses," said Columbina, "the spell cast by you, Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc, combined with the transmutation circle drawn by Davis Blackwood, will bring about the birth of a Princess of Dark in less than an hour."

"That soon?" Young Xehanort asked in an amazed tone, "well then, we have that long to prepare a proper celebration for her."

"What for?" Lady Tremaine asked, "the creature will be just another monster to throw at Sora and the others, so why celebrate? Besides, at this rate, those brats will be dead before the creature hatches."

"You ignorant fool!" snapped Columbina, "this is no mere monster I've brought about! This is a Princess of Dark!"

"A fact which you've yet to fully explain," said Regina, "just what is a Princess of Dark?"

"I assume it's the opposite of Princess of Heart," said Sephiroth.

"You'll see just what a Princess of Dark can do when Bethany emerges from her metamorphosis," said Columbina.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Gaston asked, "sit and wait? All the while Sora and his pals are on the verge of buying the farm? I don't think so! Come one, everyone! Let's go trash Rapture and kill everyone there before they all die!"

"You'll do no such thing!" said Columbina, "no one is going anywhere until the metamorphosis is complete!"

"Who the hell are you to tell us what to do?" Dio Brando asked as he and the other assembled villains stood up and glared at Columbina, "who put you in charge?"

"No one," said Columbina as she gave a disarming smile, "it's just that I fear that if you all leave now, you'll miss Bethany's rebirth. Believe me, this is one event you'll regret passing up."

"Very well, then," said Young Xehanort, "we shall stay, and prepare a fitting rebirth celebration."

"I absolutely refuse to partake in a pointless party!" snapped Lady Tremaine.

"Then why are you still here!?" exclaimed Young Xehanort, "this is my castle, if I wish to throw a party, I can and will. If you do not wish to attend, you know where the front door is."

"Well, when you put it that way," said Lady Tremaine, "and as long as there's a proper cake."

"Oh, there'll be a cake, alright," said Young Xehanort as he smiled viciously, "there'll be a cake that none of us will ever forget."

**The end of Chapter 5.**

_Next chapter finds our heroes racing to save Rapture from destruction and stop Fontaine from taking control from Ryan. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	7. Chapter 6: The Man And The Slave

_Last time our heroes dealt with and overcame the insanity that was Sander Cohen, only to deal with another form of insanity; the relentless hatred and rivalry between Ryan and Atlas. Yet in a simultaneously expected and unexpected twist of fate, Atlas was revealed to be Frank Fontaine, whom unleashed his trump card in the form of an EMP bomb, plunging Rapture into darkness. 'Nuff said, on with the show! _

**Chapter 6: The Man And The Slave**

…**Olympic Heights…a few minutes ago…**

"My dear, you are making an incredible recovery," said Dr. Tenenbaum to Kairi.

"I wouldn't have made it this far without being able to bounce back," said Kairi as she sat up on her cot while Dr. Tenenbaum examined her, "Then again, I had Sora and the others with me. We've always been stronger together. I'm worried about them, I don't like being left behind while they risk their lives."

"They're risking their lives for those whom are unable to do so themselves," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "if I had a tenth of the power you and your fellow travelers had, but I don't. I haven't even taken any Plasmids or Gene Tonics, I, whom created the damned things. All I have to fight with is my mind, where as you, you still need to rest before you can fight again."

"Maybe so," said Kairi, "and maybe not. At least until I'm back on my feet," she then carefully stood up and took a few cautious steps, "which won't be for much longer. I'm really feeling better; that healing Plasmid is a miracle."

"Just good science, that's all," said Dr. Tenenbaum modestly. "A beacon of light shining out from a nightmare that I helped to create."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for the mess in Rapture," said Kairi.

"I should and do," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "it was my discovery that lead to the development of Plasmids and the abuse of ADAM. Yes, there were other factors that lead to Rapture's downfall, but my discovery ruined so many lives and dammed so many souls to murder and madness. If only I hadn't inquired about that injured dock worker's hand, if only I had thrown that revolting sea slug away! If I could go back in time, I'd stop myself from even getting involved in Rapture in the first place!"

"But you're here and you're trying to make up for your mistakes," said Kairi, "Chrissie and the others, they'd full-blown Splicers, all mutated and crazy, if it weren't for your help."

"The special EVE I've made keeps their addiction in check, yes," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "but what happens when we've left Rapture? What happens when I no longer have access to ADAM and can't make the special EVE? What happens when they no longer can use even normal EVE? The symptoms of EVE withdraw can drive one mad just as much as ADAM abuse."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to help them just as you've helped them this far," said Kairi, "and if that doesn't work, I'm sure there's a cure or something for them, somewhere."

"You truly are an amazing person," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she gave a warm smile, "you see the good in people, even those whose souls are heavy with sins and past mistakes."

"Any mistake can be atoned for if you try hard enough," said Kairi.

Just then the lights flickered and went out, plunging the room into darkness that lasted for what seemed an eternity, until the emergency lights came on a few seconds later.

"What happened?" Kairi asked, "did a fuse blow or a circuit break?"

"I wish it was that simple," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she walked to a nearby porthole and looked out, "the entire city's gone dark!" she then hurried over to the other side of the room an activated a portable generator that lit the room up again, "I fear our friends may have bitten off a bit more than they can chew."

"That happens to us a lot," said Kairi.

* * *

**…Fort Frolic…**

"So how long do we have until we either suffocate, freeze, drown or get crushed?" Malcolm asked as our heroes and allies hurried towards the airlock where _The Intrepid Heart_ was docked.

"Who knows," said Rachael, "but what difference does it make? We're dead either way."

"Not if we can help it!" said Sora, "what do we have to do to restore power?"

"You mean fix the geothermal reactors in Hephaestus?" Joshua asked, "Depends on how much damage that EMP bomb of Atlas…I mean, Fontaine…depends on how much damage the bomb did."

"As long as all the pieces are there, I can fix it," said Aiden.

"You sure about that?" Travis asked.

"Alchemy can fix anything within reason," said Aiden.

"But the subspace disturbances that's messing with our mojo," said Malcolm, "will you be able to use your alchemy?"

"I can try," said Aiden with grim determination.

"We've got a bigger problem than the lack of lights," said Chrissie, "the defenses around Ryan are down. He's wide open for whatever Fontaine has to throw at him."

"So what? Let them kill each other!" exclaimed Liza, "Rapture will be better off without both of them!"

"You don't get it, do you," said Chrissie, "Ryan's keyed all of Rapture's systems to his genetic code and only his personal key can transfer that control to someone else. If Fontaine gets that key, he'll control Rapture, and if he controls Rapture, who knows what he'll do?"

"With all of Rapture's secrets and technology, he could conquer the surface world," said Riku.

"Then we've got to stop Fontaine!" said Sora, "before he can get to Ryan."

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Rachael, "I'd prefer Ryan to Fontaine any day of the week."

"So how do we save Ryan?" Tess asked as they reached the airlock.

"We get to him before Fontaine's freaks get there," remarked Travis as they all piled into the airlock, sealed the hatch and activated a manual override to pressurize the chamber, then opened the outer door to _The Intrepid Heart_.

"I can get us over to Hephaestus in a heartbeat," said Sidney as the hatch was closed and she detached the ship from Fort Frolic, "the rest is up to you guys." She then powered up the engines and _The Intrepid Heart _zoomed towards the next area of the city. Minutes later found the ship docking with Rapture's power plant.

"Sora, you and your group get to Ryan's office and head off Fontaine's forces," said Riku as the ship's airlock engaged and the pressure was equalized, "Aiden and our group will fix the reactor and get the lights back on."

"It's already done!" said Sora as he gave Riku the thumbs up. With that our heroes entered Hephaestus. They soon came to a split in the corridor.

"The reactor room is to the left!" said Chrissie, "while Ryan's office is to the right!"

"Good luck, everyone!" said Aiden as both groups went off on their different assignments.

"You think they'll be okay?" Rachael asked as she, Riku, Aiden, Calvin and Joshua hurried through the corridors.

"If there's one thing about us Keyblade Wielders," said Aiden, "it's that we're lucky, really lucky."

"But luck tends to run out," said Joshua.

"Let's hope that ours doesn't run out any time soon," said Calvin.

* * *

They reached the central area of Hephaestus; a triple level of catwalks surrounding the main geothermal reactor, with the area filled with dozens of Splicers.

"It's official! I hate these things!" said Aiden as he fired his Keyblade crossbow and impaling a Splicer, while Riku fired his AK47-form Keyblade, allowing Rachael to rush in and bash a few on the heads with her wrenches, while Calvin and Joshua provided support with their grenade launchers.

But then Riku saw a small group of humans trying to sneak away.

"Those are Atlas's men!" shouted Joshua, "I mean, Fontaine's!"

"I got them!" shouted Rachael. She then shot a bolt of electricity at the fleeing saboteurs, hitting one and causing him to fall through a hole in the catwalk to the level below, while the other humans got away.

"Let's pick that one up before he's torn apart by Splicers," said Calvin as he reloaded his grenade launcher. They climbed down to the next level, fighting off a handful of Splicers that approached them. They found the stunned man and forced him to his feet.

"Alright, you sabotaging scumbag!" said Rachael as she tapped one of her wrenches against the palm of her other hand, both hand and wrench sparking with electricity, "what did you do to the reactor?!"

"Where did you plant the EMP bomb?" Aiden demanded.

"Tell us and we won't toss you to the next group of Splicers we meet," said Calvin.

"You think I'll talk to a bunch of kids?" the saboteur asked, "Atlas warned us that we'd run into a gang of meddling brats."

"Oh, we've gone way beyond meddling," said Riku, "now tell us where you put the EMP bomb."

"And don't worry about Atlas being mad about you talking," said Rachael, "we know that Atlas is really Frank Fontaine."

"What?" the man asked in a genuinely confused tone, "you're kidding! Frank Fontaine's dead!"

"No he's not," said Aiden, "how can you not know?"

"He doesn't know," said Riku, "none of Atlas's men know the truth. He fooled all of Rapture, remember?"

"Well, he didn't fool Sidney," said Aiden, "and we won't get fooled again."

"Exactly," said Rachael, "now," she then tapped her wrench against the saboteur's forehead, "tell us where you put that damn bomb or I'll see just how much voltage is required to fry a man's brain!"

"You wouldn't," said the man, "you brats may be good at gutting Splicers, but you don't have it in you to kill a human."

"Wanna bet?" Rachael asked.

"We've been through hell underwater," said Calvin, "who knows what we're capable of doing to survive?"

"Frankly I'm interested on seeing how much Liquid Nitrogen a man can take before he's completely frozen inside and out," said Joshua as he unloaded the tank of napalm from his chemical thrower and pulled out a tank of liquid nitrogen, hesitated, then pulled out and loaded a tank of electro fluid, "or maybe how much a man can take of this goo? A little of this stuff can give a Big Daddy a fit, so imagine what a face full of this stuff can do to you?"

"You wouldn't," said the man in a genuinely nervous tone.

"Just try me," said Joshua as he aimed the chemical thrower at the man, "you've got to the count of three. One…two…thr…"

"Alright! I'll talk! I'll talk!" exclaimed the man, "we planted the bomb against Harmonic Core number three! It fried the whole reactor and shorted out the first two, and there's nothing any of you can do to fix it in time to save Ryan!"

"We'll see about that," said Rachael. She then swung her wrench, hitting the man upside the head and knocking him unconscious.

"Okay, now we know where the damage is, anyone know how to get there?" Aiden asked.

"If memory serves me correctly, there's an elevator to the Harmonic Cores," said Rachael, "this way."

"Would you really have done it?" Riku asked as they hurried towards the elevator, "killed that man if he hadn't talked?"

"I don't know," said Rachael, "I…I really don't know, but I'm glad it didn't come to that."

"He and his fellows shut off the power in Rapture in order to murder a man," said Calvin, "I would have…I…"

"Killing a human being is different from killing a Splicer," said Aiden, "to take a life, no matter how wicked that life, it's never easy."

They soon reached and took the elevator up to the access way to the Harmonic Cores. Each Core was a towering pillar that generated the power that ran all of Rapture. Yet when our heroes reached Core number Three, they found little more than a column of metal and shorted circuitry.

"That bomb completely friend the third Core!" said Aiden as he examined the power-generating pillar, "the internal workings are all fused and melted. I…I don't know if I can fix it, not with my Alchemy being so unreliable right now."

"You can't be serious," said Rachael, "you said you can fix anything!"

"I've never tried to fix anything this complicated," said Aiden, "especially not without knowing how it works. I'm an alchemist, not an engineer."

"Then what the hell did we come here for?!" snapped Joshua, "why the hell did we fight our way through half of Rapture, rescuing all those Little Sisters and blasting so many Splicers if you're just going to give up!"

"I never said I was giving up!" snapped Aiden, "I said I wasn't sure it would work with my powers in the fritz!"

"What about the other Harmonic Cores?" Riku asked, "that man said they were only shorted out. Can you fix one of them?"

"Only one is needed to turn the lights, heat and air back on," said Rachael, "if my memory serves me correctly."

"I…I think so," said Aiden, "I'll have to see the Cores." With that they headed back for the elevator back to the catwalks and rushed towards another access elevator.

"Anyone notice how much running we do?" Calvin asked, "it seems like we've been running for ages."

"This is nothing," said Riku as they reached the access elevator and took it up.

"I feel like we've been running forever," said Aiden, "either towards or away from danger."

"Is it really that dangerous where you're from?" Rachael asked.

"Not always," said Aiden, "but never enough to want to give up. And I never give up, even when things seem absolutely hopeless."

"When did you ever feel absolutely hopeless?" Riku asked.

"Remember when you and the others chased after Kairi to that other New York and left me, Roxas and Namin stuck at Hogwarts?" Aiden asked, "and we had to wait while Ashley put together that portal making machine? We had to sit and listen to Andrew talk about cooking while you guys were stuck in the gods knew what hellish situation."

"We were in a lavish suite at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel," said Riku, "Getting ready for a party at The American Museum of Natural History for the unveiling of the Necronomicon. Of course, the whole thing was a trap set up by that gang of Monster Haters, those alternate Trix and Count Olaf, and that was a trap set up by Solaris Pretorius."

"Well, I still didn't know what happened to you until they set up that dimensional viewing machine," said Aiden.

"I have absolutely no idea what the hell you two are talking about," said Rachael, "and frankly, I don't give a fuck, we're almost there."

They reached the second Harmonic Core and found that it was mostly intact.

"Just a few blown circuits and damaged parts, I think," said Aiden as he examined the pillar, "I think I can fix it." He then took out a stick of chalk and began drawing a transmutation circle on the Core.

"How long will it take?" Joshua asked.

Aiden finished drawing the transmutation circle and touched it. The chalk glowed bright blue as the alchemy took effect. The entire pillar glowed with alchemic energy, then glowed bright orange and it came back on line. Within seconds the lights in the area flickered back on and air started flowing through the vents.

"Not long at all," said Aiden smugly. He then gasped and nearly fell over the railing of the catwalk, only to be caught by Riku and Rachael.

"What happened, man?" Calvin asked.

"I…I don't know," said an exhausted Aiden as Riku and Rachael helped him back to his feet, "I used more energy than I thought."

"Well, you rest up and we'll carry you," said Joshua. Before Aiden could protest, Joshua picked him up and slung him across his back, "we'll catch up with the others."

"Sora!" said Riku after he pulled out his phone and dialed, "we've got the power back on!"

"I know, Riku," said Sora on the other end of the line in a defeated tone, "but…"

"But what?" Riku asked, "Sora, what happened?"

"We were too late, Riku," said Tess.

* * *

…**Rapture Control Center…**

"Fontaine's men got here just before we did," said Tess as she and the others looked around the wreckage of Ryan's office. Also on the floor were several bodies riddled with bullets.

"Ryan's key," said Chrissie as she looked at a control port that displayed the name Frank Fontaine, "they got it and switched control of the city to Fontaine. It's over."

"No it's not!" said Aiden defiantly.

"It is, man!" said Travis, "Fontaine has total control of Rapture and all its secrets! We might as well step into an airlock without a diving suit and drown ourselves!"

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings!" said Riku, "now, Sora, what do you and the others see?"

"The legacy of a great man gone sour," said Liza as she and the others looked around the wrecked office, "there's all sorts of documents and papers."

"Fontaine's men tore the place apart to get Ryan's key," said Malcolm.

"What about Ryan?" Joshua asked, "any sign of him?"

"There's blood on the floor without a body to go with it," said Tess as she looked at the dead assailants, "you think the bastards took him when they left?"

Just then Sora and the others heard a switch being thrown and a secret panel opened, revealing Andrew Ryan, a large gash across the forehead of the man whom dreamed Rapture into reality.

"Well now," said Ryan as he looked at Sora and the others, "what a sad state we all are in," he then walked over to his desk and slumped into his chair, "I've finally lost control of that which means the most to me, and you children are perhaps the only hope Rapture has for a future."

"Are you alright, Mr. Ryan?" Chrissie asked.

"No, child," said Ryan in a defeated tone, "I am dying, though not without a fight," he indicated the dead assailants, "one would think that a man as crafty as Fontaine would send better assassins."

"Your key, Mr. Ryan," said Sora, "if we can get it back, you can take control of Rapture again."

"We can't let Fontaine have all of Rapture's secrets!" said Chrissie as she pulled out he radio, "Dr. Tenenbaum! Are you there, Dr. Tenenbaum!?"

"I'm here, Chrissie!" said Dr. Tenenbaum on the other end of the radio, "what is happening? The power went out but went back on again."

"Long story short, Fontaine turned off the lights to get to Ryan," said Chrissie, "his men stole Ryan's key and switched control of Rapture over to Fontaine. But we're going to get it back."

"No," said Ryan, "there's no time. I'll be dead long before you'll get the key back."

"But…you can't die, Mr. Ryan!" said Dr. Tenenbaum, "you're the heart and soul of Rapture."

"I'm a man who made far too many mistakes in the pursuit of a dream," said Ryan.

"You made your dream a reality, Mr. Ryan," said Dr. Tenenbaum.

"Sora," said Kairi, "what's wrong with Ryan?"

"Just a head wound, Kairi," said Sora, "but…"

"I'm dying of a broken heart, young one," said Ryan, "in the pursuit of freedom, I forgot the essential fact that too much freedom breeds chaos and corruption. In my vigilance against the parasite, I allowed parasites like Fontaine to slip into Rapture. The corruption runs too deep, it's too late to save the city. But there are those who can be saved," he looked at Chrissie, "you, Ms. Chesterton, you and your fellows are perhaps the last and best hope that the ideals of Rapture have left. Save yourselves and leave this place before it destroys you, just as it destroyed me."

"You're not dead yet, Ryan," said Tess.

"The Vita Chambers!" said Travis as he looked up from a document he had picked up, "you had them built and keyed to your genetic code. They can save you!"

"I turned the one in my office off before those vandals broke in," said Ryan, "I'll be dead before you can get me to another."

"Why?" Sora asked, "if you knew they were coming to get you, why turn off the machine that could save your life?"

"Because…I'm tired," said Ryan, "tired of Rapture, tired of this sunless abyss, tired of the Great Chain, tired of life. I've lived long and seen many wonders, but I've seen horrors to match those wonders. I'm tired and I choose to end it. That is the difference between a free man and a slave; choice."

He then grabbed Sora by the arm with surprising intensity and strength, pulling him close to say his final words, "Remember, young traveler; A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys!" With that, Andrew Ryan gave one last rattling exhale, released Sora and went limp, his eyes glazing over as the light went out in them.

"Sora!" exclaimed Kairi over the radio, "what's happening!?"

"He's dead," said Sora as he closed Ryan's eyes, "Andrew Ryan, he's dead."

Just then Travis's radio crackled and from it came Fontaine's voice that dripped with gleeful malice, "oh, how I wish I could be there to see the old bastard die."

"You slimy scumbag," said Chrissie irately, "you clamshell of a coward!"

"You sent a gang of patsies to kill Ryan and switch the control key to your genetic code," said Tess, "you don't even have the balls to gloat in person!"

"Why risk my own life when I can use others instead?" Fontaine asked, "funny thing. Not too long ago I had a plan to use Ryan's own biological son against him. The little brat was genetically engineered, rapidly aged to adulthood and psychologically conditioned to respond to the phrase 'would you kindly.'

"I had it all figured out; send the brat up to the surface for a little while with implanted memories, call him back to Rapture, manipulate him into believing that Ryan was a monster and I was just a humble freedom fighter falling on bad times. Too bad the brat died in the plane crash that he caused in order to get back to Rapture."

"You monster!" snapped Travis, "Just you wait till we get that key back. I can't decide if I want to toss you out an airlock or feed you to a pack of Splicers!"

"I'm partial to making a Big Daddy step on his head," said Calvin.

At that Fontaine laughed like the maniacal manipulator he was, "you kids are the limit, you know that?"

"The best part about limits are going beyond them," said Aiden.

"Oh, grow up, you snot nosed brat!" snapped Fontaine, "it's over! I control Rapture and its secrets now! And what secrets have I dug up, especially ones you tried to hide, Dr. Tenenbaum."

"What's he talking about?" Kairi asked, "Dr. Tenenbaum, what secrets?"

"I'm in the dark as much as you are, young one," said Dr. Tenenbaum.

"Have you really forgotten, Dr. Tenenbaum?" Fontaine asked, "well, allow me to refresh your memory with two words: Project Omega."

* * *

…**Olympus Heights…**

At the mention of the words, Kairi saw that Dr. Tenenbaum's face paled and a nervous sweat broke on her brow.

"Omega?" Dr. Tenenbaum asked in an unsteady tone as her hand gripping the radio microphone shook, "that's…that's impossible. All the files for Project Omega were destroyed when the war started."

"You thought you destroyed all the files," said Fontaine, "but you had no idea that Dr. Suchong kept a backup copy of all your research on the project. But I've got those files now, and they've proven to be quite an interesting read."

"What's Project Omega?" Kairi asked in a suspicious tone, "And why did you try to destroy the files for it?"

"I had to destroy the files," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "I had to before someone used the Omega Plasmid."

"What's the Omega Plasmid?" Kairi asked.

"Something that I shouldn't have tried to make," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "I should have stopped myself long ago. I should never have discovered ADAM in the first place!"

"But what is the Omega Plasmid?" Sora asked over the radio.

"I'll tell you what it is," said Fontaine, "it's a Plasmid that gives whoever takes it ultimate power and grants immortality. In short, it'll make me a living god!"

"Can it do that, Dr. Tenenbaum?" Malcolm asked.

"No!" said Dr. Tenenbaum in a determined tone, "it can't and it won't! The formulae for the Omega Plasmid requires more pure ADAM than there is in all of Rapture."

"Oh, there's a pure source, alright," said Fontaine in a voice that dripped with wicked glee, "hey, Sora, you and your friends notice that there weren't any Little Sisters in Hephaestus? And if you look in Apollo Square, Point Prometheus and the rest of the city, you won't find any other."

"You…you didn't!" snapped Liza, "you took all those Little Sisters?"

"Had to sacrifice a lot of my men to take out their Big Daddies," said Fontaine, "but we got the little monsters. Got them and ripped out their ADAM slugs. Now I've got all the ADAM I'll ever need."

"Murderer!" spat Dr. Tenenbaum, "those girls were innocent and you slaughtered them like cattle!"

"Cattle that you created, Dr. Tenenbaum for the use of Rapture," said Fontaine, "go on and keep the ones you've already saved, they're no good to me."

"You bastard!" snapped Tess, "we'll find you and make you pay for what you've done!"

"You'll never reach me in time," said Fontaine, "you don't even know where I am."

"I can guess," said Chrissie.

"You forget one thing, Frank Fontaine," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "despite how despicable a means you've acquired the needed ADAM, the Omega Plasmid is incomplete. I never finished the formulae."

"I know," said Fontaine, "but while Rapture's been going to hell and you've been hiding with your head in the sand, I've been making deals with outside investors."

"You've been in contact with the surface world?!" exclaimed Joshua.

"Up there? No," said Fontaine, "I used to have contacts on the surface, but thanks to a certain doorway project, I don't need my old contacts anymore."

"So, the dimensional portal experiments were even more of a success than I thought," said Dr. Tenenbaum in an accusing manner.

* * *

…**Hephaestus… **

"The subspace disturbances," said Riku, "you're opening portals to other worlds!"

"And made some new friends while I was at it," said Fontaine, "men and women whom are willing to pay a high price for Rapture's secrets. Now that I control Rapture, I've given my new partners everything they wanted; access to Rapture's technology. In return, they're helping me finish Dr. Tenenbaum's research on the Omega Plasmid. My friends say that they'll have a batch of the stuff finished before long and I'll be the first test subject."

"We won't let you!" said Aiden, "we'll find and stop you before you hurt anyone else!"

"You forget one thing, kido," said Fontaine, "I control Rapture inside and out."

At that Riku, Aiden, Calvin, Joshua and Rachael all heard the sound of several doors and hatches closing. They rushed to one doorway and found that the door was locked tight.

"He's sealed us in!" shouted Joshua.

* * *

…**Rapture Control Center…**

"Same with us!" said Tess as she, Liza, Malcolm, Sora, Travis and Chrissie found themselves locked in the antechamber outside Ryan's office.

* * *

…**Olympus Heights…**

"We're sealed in here too!" said Kairi as she and Dr. Tanenbaum found that the door to the outer area was also locked tight.

"Now that I've got you all where I want you," said Fontaine, "I think I'll let your fates _soak in_."

At that Kairi and Dr. Tenenbaum were horrified to find that water was rapidly seeping into the room. "Sora!" shouted Kairi. "He's gonna drown us!"

* * *

…**Rapture Control Center…**

"You're lucky," said Tess. She then coughed slightly, "Fontaine's sealed off the air vents in here! We're gonna suffocate!"

"Assuming we don't die of carbon dioxide poisoning first," said Chrissie as she and the others tried to slow their panicked breathing.

* * *

…**Hephaestus…**

"There's no water here," said Riku as Calvin and Joshua felt the air vents, "And we've got plenty of air."

"But we're still in trouble," said Aiden as he and the others started sweating profusely, "Fontaine turned up the heat, a lot."

"He's cut off part of the Core coolant," said Rachael as she looked at a temperature gage, which was already rising past 90 F. "The Core won't explode or meltdown, we'll get cooked long before that happens."

"No matter how you look at it, we're fucked," said Calvin.

* * *

…**Castle Oblivion…**

"Finally!" said an ecstatic Dio Brando as he and the other villains watched our heroes peril, "they're finally done for!"

"No, they're not," said Regina flatly as she lay on a couch, idly toying with a set of dominos on a nearby table, setting them up to fall.

"Yes they are!" said Dio Brando, "look at the freaking Interocitor! Sora's group is about to be suffocated! Riku's group is going to be cooked! Kairi and that mad scientist are going to drown!"

"Never underestimate a mad scientist!" snapped Insano.

"Yeah, well, they're still done for!" said Dio Brando.

"I think not," said Regina, "they'll get out of this fix just like they've gotten out of every sticky situation they've ever been in. Just you wait."

"You know," said Sephiroth, "you're being rather pessimistic for a villainess."

"I'm feeling blue," said Regina as she finished setting up her dominos, "even Evil Queens can be in a blue mood sometimes."

"They're still done for!" said Dio Brando.

"I bet they won't," said Regina as she flicked the first domino, knocking down the line she set up.

"Oh really!?" exclaimed Dio Brando as he walked right up to Regina and got right in her face, "you wanna bet?!"

"Uh…I wouldn't get too close to her, if I were you," said a slightly nervous Gaston.

"You're not me!" snapped Dio Brando. He then glared at Regina, "I'll bet you fifty pounds of gold that Sora and the brats are finished!"

At that Regina calmly stood up, brushed off some lint from her sleeve, then blasted Dio Brando with a ball of fire, knocking him into the wall where he left a Dio Brando-shaped indentation.

"I'll see your bet," said Regina as she brushed off more lint from her sleeve, "fifty pounds of gold."

"How much is that in Munny?" Lady Tremaine asked as Regina and Dio Brando shook on the bet.

"A lot," said Young Xehanort.

"Just you watch," said Dio Brando, "the brats are finished, just you watch."

"I will watch, and so should you," said Regina, "any second now some fluke or bizarre miracle is going to save their sorry hides."

"I'll see it when I believe it," said Dio Brando.

**…The End of Chapter 6...**

_Next chapter finds our heroes struggling to survive as things in Rapture keep going from bad to worse. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie, see you then!_


	8. Chapter 7: Rise of Darkness

_Last time found our heroes racing to restore power in Rapture before Fontaine's goons reached Ryan and acquire his genetic key. Aiden succeeded in repairing the damage done by the EMP bomb, yet our heroes failed to prevent the theft of the key, nor were they able to save Ryan's life. To make matters worse, Fontaine boldly boasted of his acquisition of the genetic key, as well as an abandoned Plasmid that would make him a living god. As if that wasn't bad enough, Fontaine trapped our heroes in their respective sections of Rapture, while our favorite villains in Castle Oblivion watched in anticipation of our hero's demises. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 7: Rise of Darkness**

"I see it but I don't believe it!" exclaimed Dio Brando as he looked at the Interocitor, where Kairi and Dr. Tenenbaum were being rescued from the water-filling room by a rescued Little Sister, whom had appeared from a secret panel in the ceiling above a storage cabinet. Kairi and Dr. Tenenbaum climbed to the top of the cabinet and crawled into the passage, closing the panel behind them just as the water completely filled the room.

"No!" snapped Dio Brando as he turned the Intensifier Disk 18° to the left. The image changed, showing Riku, Aiden, Calvin, Joshua and Rachel, crawling into another secret passage that had been opened by a rescued Little Sister, just before the temperature in Hephaestus grew too hot for human tolerance.

"This isn't happening!" exclaimed Dio Brando as he turned the Intensifier Disk another 18° to the left, "this is not happening!"

"Would you be paying me the fifty pounds of gold in bouillon?" Regina asked in a smug yet slightly disappointed tone, as if she wished her gloomy expectations of our heroes survival was wrong, "or would you prefer to make out a check?"

"Damn them!" snapped Dio Brando as the Interocitor now showed Sora, Tess, Malcolm, Liza, Chrissie and Travis escaping the sealed room via a trapdoor in the floor, which was opened by a third rescued Little Sister, "damn those meddling brats and their mutant little girls!" he then grabbed the Interocitor, ripping the screen free of the main body and smashing it to the floor.

"YOU IDIOT!" exclaimed an outraged Young Xehanort, "YOU BRAINLESS OAF! Do you have any idea what you've just done!?"

"I broke your viewing machine," said Dio Brando. He then kicked the main body of the Interocitor, smashing the outer covering and shattering the inner workings, "so get another one."

"You'd find it easier to leave a black hole after crossing the event horizon," said Insano.

"My former self placed the order for that Interocitor thirty years ago, they're so expensive!" said Young Xehanort, "and that was just a down payment."

"So, when we were watching the Keyblade Wielders, Winx and Specialists fight Darkar and The Trix," said Sephiroth.

"I had finally paid it off and gotten the damn thing," said Young Xehanort, "and now it's gone! Do you have any idea how long and how much money it'll take to get it replaced? Well? Do any of you know the hell, fire and brimstone I'll have to fight through to get another Interocitor?!"

"It doesn't matter," said Columbina, "besides, the time has come."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked.

Just then everyone heard a loud cracking noise.

"The time has come!" exclaimed Columbina, "Bethany's metamorphosis is complete! Her emergence is nigh!"

"Now this I've gotta see," said Dio Brando.

The assembled villains relocated to Bethany's dark purple cocoon. The insidious chrysalis was pulsating rapidly and thrumming with a noise that could chill a man down to his soul, while a long crack had appeared in the chrysalis itself. Then another crack appeared, then another, each crack emitting an intense ray of darkness.

"It is accomplished!" said Columbina with vile glee as more and more cracks appeared in the chrysalis, "it is finally accomplished! At long last, a Princess of Dark is born!"

It was then that the cocoon shattered. From it emerged a woman in her early 20's with long flowing dark blond hair, pale skin, a full, sensual figure beneath a black and red dress and high-heeled shoes. What were most striking were her green eyes, eyes that burned with cold fury.

"Welcome to life, Princess Blightheart," said Columbina.

"Blightheart?" Lady Tremaine asked.

"Yes," said Columbina in a smug tone, "I figured she would need an appropriate name for her new life."

"That's not my name," said the woman whom not too long ago used to be Bethany, speaking in an emotionless tone, yet glared wrathfully at Columbina.

"What…of course it's your name!" said Columbina irately, "I chose it for you, you ungrateful brat!"

"You'll take your name and like it, kido," said The Lord of Illusions as he leaned against the doorframe.

"I forgot he was here," said Dio Brando.

"I had to step out for a moment," said The Lord of Illusions, "anyway, I…" that's as far as Leslie got as the woman whom used to be Bethany vanished, then appeared in front of the trickster. She then summoned a black Keyblade and stabbed Leslie in the heart with it. The Lord of Illusions let out a startled, pained gurgle and collapsed to the floor as the woman pulled the black Keyblade out. The trickster let out a final gurgle before expiring.

"Wow," said another Lord of Illusions from behind Lady Tremaine, startling the former wicked stepmother of Cinderella, "you really creamed that doppelganger of mine."

"Must you do that, you uncouth purveyor of parlor tricks!" snapped Lady Tremaine.

"They don't call me the Lord of Illusions for nothing," said Leslie. He then looked at the woman with the black Keyblade, "and seriously, Princess Blightheart, nice move there, but be careful with my doppelgangers from now on; they're really hard to come by."

At that the woman vanished again and appeared behind The Lord of Illusions, holding her black Keyblade at his throat, "a million doppelgangers and the original will never be enough to satisfy the rage you put into my cracked heart," said the woman, "I'll never forgive or forget what you did to Kate."

"That snot-nosed brat of a sister is no longer any concern of yours, Princess Blightheart," said Columbina, "you have now taken the first step on the road to a life of glorious darkness!"

At that the woman glared hatefully at Columbina, "don't talk to me about life, you bitch!" snapped the woman, her voice now resonating with unbridled wrath and loathing, "and don't call me that!"

"I'll call you whatever I wish, you ungrateful brat!" snapped Columbian, "I made you to bring darkness to the Realms of Light, but I can unmake you just as easily!" She then yelped in surprise as the woman appeared behind her with the black Keyblade ready to cut her head off.

"I know why you made me," said the woman flatly, "and I'll follow your instructions, but don't call me that tacky, degrading name."

"What should we call you?" Regina asked, "Bethany?"

"Bethany Greenhill died when she saw her sister die," said the woman, "call me…Lady Darklight."

"Lady Darklight," said Sephiroth in a thoughtful manner, "it's simple, yet straight to the point. You shine with pure darkness, my lady," he then offered a genuinely respectful bow.

"Yes, you are a beacon of darkness that shall outshine all other sources of light," said Lady Tremaine as she too bowed. She then roughly nudged Gaston in the side to remind him to bow.

"Whatever," said Dio Brando offhandedly, "so long as you do what so many and so much have failed to do; kill Sora and his do-gooder friends."

"Just show me where they are and they're as good as dead," said Lady Darklight.

"I'll take you to them, if you wish," said Columbina in a wickedly ambitious yet cautious tone.

"Mind if I tag along?" Dio Brando asked as he stretched his arms over his head, "I've been itching for an adventure."

"Yes, we've been cooped up in this castle for far too long," said Lady Tremaine.

"Some of us have needs to satisfy," said Gaston, "trashing and tormenting Xehanort's drones are alright, but there's nothing like hurting and destroying real flesh and bone."

"Do as you wish," said Lady Darklight, "just stay out of my way. Sora and his companions are mine."

"You can satisfy your needs on those Splicers and any human survivor in Rapture," said Regina, "but I wish to see Lady Darklight in action."

"As would I," said Young Xehanort to Lady Darklight, "I just hope you leave Sora and his friends alive long enough for me to rip out Ventus's heart out of Sora. I may be…reconsidering my ambition for the X-Blade, but I would rather tie up lose ends while I still can."

"Again, do as you wish but stay out of my way," said Lady Darklight. She then used her black Keyblade to lop off Leslie's head, "least you suffer the same fate as this doppelganger."

"Will you stop doing that?!" exclaimed the real Lord of Illusions, at least what everyone thought was the real one, as he appeared in the room, "I get it, you're pissed at me, but replacing a doppelganger requires a lot of money and more paperwork than it takes to run a small kingdom!"

"Then don't piss me off any more than you've already have," said Lady Darklight.

* * *

…**Olympus Heights…Mercury Suites…**

"You girls seriously saved our bacon," said Aiden as he, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Tess, Malcolm, Chrissie, Joshua, Rachael, Travis, Liza, Calvin and Dr. Tenenbaum, stood in the main area of the residential section of Rapture's elite. With them were the many Little Sisters that they had freed from their conditioning.

"You saved us from something awful," said one of the Little Sisters, "we owed you one."

"We owed you a lot," said another of the Little Sisters, "and so much more." She then pulled out a small black metal box out from her pocket and opened it, revealing one of the missing powers.

"What the…!?" exclaimed Sora, "you…you had it?"

"So Fontaine was telling the truth, sort of," said Malcolm as he glared wrathfully at Dr. Tenenbaum, "you had the missing power the whole time!"

"I've never seen that…that ball of light, in all my life!" said Dr. Tenenbaum.

"We had it, Dr. T," said one of the Little Sisters.

"I found it just lying around," said the Little Sister holding the missing power, "I showed it to the others and they all thought it was pretty, so pretty that we all nearly got into a fight over it."

"Just because it's so pretty," said another Little Sister as she reached for the missing power.

"No! I want to hold it!" said another Little Sister.

"I found it!" said the one holding the missing power, only for the box to be snatched out of her hands by Kairi.

"I'm sorry, but it belongs to someone very special to us," said Kairi as she closed the box and pocketed it.

"Oh, well…" said the Little Sister who found the missing power, while the others looked equally disappointed.

"It's for the best, little ones," said Dr. Tenenbaum, she then looked at Sora and the others, "but it won't matter who that item belongs to if Fontaine gets away with completing and using the Omega Plasmid."

"If he does use the Omega Plasmid," said Tess, "what then? What kind of mutated freakazoid will he become?"

"It's hard to say, considering I never finished the damn thing," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "one thing is for sure. Fontaine will acquire near god-like strength and endurance. Bullets and other projectile weapons will have little if any effect, while Plasmid abilities will also be similarly affected."

"Then how do we kill him?" Joshua asked.

"I vote for cutting his head off," said Rachael as she twirled one of her wrenches between her fingers, "or bashing his brains in. I'm good either way."

"For all we know, he'll have the power to regenerate his head," siad Travis.

"Then what about luring him into an airlock and flushing him out to sea?" Calvin asked.

"Drowning could work," said Riku in a thoughtful manner, "but how are we going to get him to the airlock? Someone's gonna have to act as bait."

"And how is the one acting as bait gonna get out of the airlock without sealing him or herself in with Fontaine?" Malcolm asked.

"This is all speculation," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "there is a possible weakness Fontaine will have, a flaw in the formulae I never had time to work out. He will be forced to inject massive amounts of raw ADAM into his body to fully utilize the Omega Plasmid, pushing his dependency on ADAM to unheard of levels. Extract that excess ADAM and he will lose his strength and invincibility, not to mention sending him into a nightmare of ADAM withdraw, theoretically that is."

"How sure are you of this theory, doctor?" Kairi asked.

"Better than fifty-fifty," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "the most pressing problem will getting close enough to remove the excess ADAM."

"And how are we to get that ADAM out of Fontaine?" Sora asked.

"Use these," said one of the Little Sisters as she handed Sora her ADAM syringe, "just stick him and suck the ADAM out."

"Just don't drink it," said another Little Sister as she handed a syringe to Riku, while the others handed syringes to Kairi, Aiden, Tess and Malcolm.

"You couldn't get me to drink that stuff with a ten foot straw," said Aiden. "Okay, we've got a plan of sorts; jab Fontaine with the needles and draw out the ADAM. What then?"

"Hopefully he'll be weak enough to destroy," said Dr. Tenenbaum.

Just then Chrissie's radio crackled and everyone heard Fontaine's voice, which now thrummed with a sinister reverberation, "you really think so, doc? You think you and a bunch of wet behind the ear brats who got this far on sheer dumb luck can stop me?"

"What's with his voice?" Liza asked in a slightly nervous tone, "you don't think…?"

"That I took the Omega Plasmid?" Fontaine asked. He then laughed viciously, "them scientist friends of mine work fast."

"They couldn't have completed the Omega Plasmid this quickly!" exclaimed a disbelieving Dr. Tenenbaum.

"It's amazing what you can do with plenty of cash and the right reward," said Fontaine, "them scientists, they got Rapture's scientific secrets, and I'm now the most powerful man in Rapture for real, the world even!"

"I'll believe it when I see it!" said Joshua.

"As you wish!" exclaimed Fontaine.

Chrissie's radio then let out a high pitched shrill that was so painful to her and the others, she threw her radio to the floor with enough force to break it. But then everyone heard a similar shrilling noise, followed by a blinding flash and deafening thunderclap of noise, accompanied by a blast of displaced air that almost knocked our heroes and allies down.

Once Sora and the others had pulled themselves together, they were shocked to see a gigantic, heavily muscled humanoid with gray skin that pulsated with alternating red, yellow and blue lines.

"My God!" exclaimed a horrified Dr. Tenenbaum.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, doc," said the creature that was Fontaine as it advanced towards our heroes and allies, "well? What do ya'll think?" it asked as it raised its arms, "don't I make a fitting god for a new world?"

"Oh, don't get me started about gods and new worlds," said an outraged Riku, "we had more than enough trouble with Light Yagami, Djarlo and everyone else whom thought they could turn themselves into gods!"

"You're just another mutated freakazoid with delusions of grandeur!" said Tess.

"You call this a delusion?!" exclaimed Fontaine. He then shot a stream of fire at Tess, which she barely managed to avoid yet was singed from head to toe.

"My power is as real as it gets, kidos!" exclaimed Fontaine as he shot several bolts of lightning at Sora and the others, forcing our heroes and allies to take cover, while Dr. Tenenbaum lead the freed Little Sisters out of harms way.

Yet all our heroes efforts were in vain as Fontaine proved to be utterly impervious to bullets and explosives, while the various Plasmid abilities of Chrissie and the others barely slowed it down, as did Keyblade attacks.

"That's right, stay down!" snapped Fontaine as he alternately blasted Sora and the others with fire, lightning and ice attacks, "or at least get up to your knees, I'll be good practice for when the whole world bows down before me!"

"It'll be a cold day in hell before anyone bows down to you, you freak!" snapped Chrissie as she got back up, "no one will ever worship you!"

"They'll soon worship me for the god that I am!" exclaimed Fontaine as he levitated with his arms outstretched, "the whole world will kneel before my glory!"

At that Chrissie laughed in a mildly deranged manner, "you really expect people to worship you? Have you seen yourself? You look like crap!"

At that Fontaine abruptly landed on the floor, a genuinely confused look on his face, "what?" he asked.

"You look like someone's nightmare of a nightmare!" said Chrissie, "you're so ugly, your own mother would gouge out her own eyes rather than look at you!"

"I am perfection personified!" exclaimed Fontaine, "and you, you filthy mortal! You don't know what beauty is!"

"You're so ugly, you make onions cry!" snapped Chrissie.

"Oh, we're playing that game?" Joshua asked as he, Travis and the other Rapture survivors got up, "how about this, Fontaine? You're so ugly, you'd make blind kids cry!"

"You're so ugly, the tide wouldn't bring you in!" said Liza.

"You're so ugly, the Security Cameras have to turn themselves off!" said Travis.

"You're so ugly, you could model for death threats!" said Rachael.

"You're so ugly, not even Sander Cohen would sketch you!" said Calvin.

"You're so ugly, you'd have to sneak up on a mirror!" exclaimed Chrissie, "in fact," she then spotted a nearby hand mirror and used Telekinesis to summon it to her hand, then turned it towards Fontaine, "see for yourself!"

"What…what!?" exclaimed Fontaine as he saw his reflection, "NO! NOOOOO!" He then shied away from the mirror.

"He's like a Wamphyri," said Riku as he, Sora and the others got up, "he can't stand the sight of his own evil."

"Works for me!" said Tess as she rushed at the still slightly disoriented Fontaine. He tried shooting a freezing blast at Tess but she vanished, only to appear behind the mutated creature and jumped onto his back.

"Get off of me, you bitch!" shouted Fontaine as he thrashed about, trying in vain to reach behind and grab Tess, but his overly muscular arms couldn't reach.

"Suck on this!" shouted Tess as she jabbed her ADAM syringe into Fontaine's torso, extracting several milliliters of the red, mutating fluid, causing Fontaine to cry out in frustrated pain. He finally managed to shake Tess off, but staggered about weakly.

"Now!" shouted Joshua as he aimed and shot his flamethrower at Fontaine, spraying the mutated creature with burning napalm. At the same time Chrissie and Travis peppered Fontaine with machinegun bullets and shotgun pellets, while Calvin hit Fontaine with a bolt of lightning and Rachael rushed up and delivered a double wrench hit to his head.

"My strength…sapped!" gasped Fontaine as he staggered back from this six-sided attack, "must…hide! Must…heal!" With that he teleported out of the area.

"We've got to go after him!" exclaimed Chrissie.

"But where did he go?" Kairi asked, "he could be anywhere in Rapture."

"He'll need a place to restore himself," said Dr. Tenenbaum as she and the rescued Little Sisters came out of hiding, "the ADAM in his system needs time to restore his vitality."

"But where in Rapture?" Sora asked.

Just then Liza's radio crackled, "you…you think you've beaten me?!" exclaimed Fontaine, "you think that a few scrapes and I'm done for?!"

"We figured it'd take a lot more," said Aiden.

"But round one is ours," said Kairi, "care for another?"

"Or you could just give up and let everyone who wants to leave Rapture leave," said Malcolm.

"Ain't nobody's leaving Rapture!" snapped Fontaine, "I'll destroy the city before let anyone leave!"

"You brain-addled fool!" said Dr. Tenenbaum, "you'll destroy yourself! Including the means for you to create more ADAM!"

"My scientific friends promised me an unlimited supply," said Fontaine, "guess I forgot to tell you that they've got the means of making as much ADAM as I'll never need. Once I've crushed you meddling brats, I'll go up to the surface world and make everyone up there worship their new god! But first things first! I've got Ryan's key, and with it I can activate Rapture's self-destruct mechanism! Bet you didn't know that I installed a control panel in my place, just for such an occasion!"

"You wouldn't," said Sora, "you wouldn't destroy Rapture and kill all these innocent people."

"I only bluff when I have to, kido," said Fontaine, "and right now, I ain't bluffing! And just to spite you, I'll even set a timer to give you brats a bit of false hope and…what! No! Where is it! WHERE IS THE KEY!"

Just then the radio cut out, leaving our heroes and allies in stunned silence for several seconds.

"Okay," said a confused Joshua, "what was that?"

"You don't think he lost the key, right?" Liza asked.

"Fontaine is a murdering megalomaniac," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "he wouldn't lose the key. He'd keep it close to him at all times."

"Then what happened?" Kairi asked, "if he did lose it, where is it?"

"And why'd the radio cut out like that?" Calvin asked as he and Liza checked their radios.

"None of them are working," said a concerned Rachael as she, Travis and Joshua checked theirs.

Just then Columbina appeared, "I figured we could all use a break from that idiot, Fontaine," she said as she smiled wickedly.

"You!" exclaimed Aiden, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I've come to make things more interesting, naturally," said Columbina.

"Who the fuck is this weirdo?" a confused Chrissie asked.

"A real pain in our asses," said Malcolm.

"Oh, is that all that I am to you?" Columbina asked in a pouting manner, "a mere pain? I had hoped that after all our adventures that I'd be up to the level of nemesis, or at least a simple arch enemy."

"I take it that you have some bad history with her," said Travis to Sora and the others.

"You could say that again," remarked Sora.

"What do you want, Columbina?" Riku asked, "and make it quick, we're in the middle of a crisis."

"Fontaine's got the means to destroy Rapture," said Tess, "so unless you want to get your head bashed in, stay out of our way!"

"And miss out on what will be my greatest triumph? I don't think so!" said Columbina, "and you don't have to worry about Fontaine destroying the city," with a flick of her wrist, a large gold plated keycard appeared in her hands.

"You have it?!" exclaimed Rachael.

"Indeed I do," said Columbina smugly.

"Yoink!" exclaimed Liza as she tried to grab the keycard, only to dive through empty space.

"As if I would appear before you in person," said Columbina as her holographic avatar appeared behind our heroes, "needless to say, none of you will be laying hands on this keycard anytime soon." She then pocketed the keycard.

"Then what do you want, Columbina?" Sora asked.

"All in good time, Sora," said Columbina, "all in good time. I wish to introduce you to someone first, someone very special."

"Another lackey of yours?" Tess asked, "we don't have time for this!"

"You'll make the time or I'll destroy Rapture myself!" snapped Columbina. "Now, permit me to introduce you to..."

"I don't need an introduction," said Lady Darklight as she appeared before Sora and the others.

"Who is this?" Travis asked.

"And are you single?!" an eager Joshua asked.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," said Chrissie to Sora and the others, "Joshua's a sucker for a pretty face."

"Really?" Kairi asked, "wait, why didn't he try to hook up with Tess and me? Aren't we pretty enough?"

"I guess you're not his type," said Rachael.

"Not his type?" a slightly irate Tess asked, "for some reason, I feel really offended."

"This idle chitchat bores me," said Lady Darklight, "long story short, I'm Lady Darklight, a Princess of Dark."

"What?!" exclaimed Riku, "no! No way!"

"You couldn't have!" said Sora to Columbina, "you couldn't have!"

"She did!" said a fearful Kairi, "I feel it deep in my heart! This person," she looked at Lady Darklight, "her heart is pure darkness!

"How!? When!? Where!?" exclaimed Aiden

"That just leaves 'why, who and what,'" said Columbina smugly.

"I was getting to 'who,'" said Aiden, "who was she? Who was the innocent girl who's heart you cracked?!"

"And why didn't Alegra stop you!?" snapped Tess.

"I'm better than Alegra, that's why," said Columbina, "As for who Lady Darklight was, let's just say she was someone close to you, and no, she wasn't one of the Princesses of Heart you pulled from my grasp."

"Can we get on with this?" Lady Darklight asked, "I'm bored."

"Patience, my friend," said Columbina, "all in good time," she then looked at Sora and the others, "now that you've been introduced to the instrument of your destruction, the time has come to play a little game."

"A game?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, a game," said Columbina as she gave her most wicked smile yes, "and you have no choice but to play this game and play to win, for if you lose, you and this entire world will die."

"Well, that's just dandy," said Chrissie.

**The End of Chapter 7.**

_Next chapter are forced to contend with the evil that Columbina unleashed in the form of Lady Darklight. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	9. Chapter 8: The Games of Rapture

_Last time found our heroes escaping from the various death traps set up by Fontaine, only to be forced to fight Fontaine after he had taken the power of the Omega Plasmid. Our heroes were able to hold the mutated fiend off and force him to retreat, yet this small victory was overshadowed by the arrival of Columbina and the recently ascended Lady Darklight. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 8: The Game of Rapture**

"Can we get on with this?" Lady Darklight asked, "I'm bored."

"Patience, my friend," said Columbina, "all in good time," she then looked at Sora and the others, "now that you've been introduced to the instrument of your destruction, the time has come to play a little game."

"A game?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, a game," said Columbina as she gave her most wicked smile yes, "and you have no choice but to play this game and play to win, for if you lose, you and this entire world will die."

"Well, that's just dandy," said Chrissie.

"We're not playing any of your games, Columbina!" said Riku defiantly.

"As if you have any choice," said Columbina.

"Don't I get a choice?" Lady Darklight asked, "you have the keycard, so destroy the damn city already!

"If I wanted to arbitrarily destroy Rapture, I would have done so," said Columbina, "I could have also hijacked this world's nuclear arsenal and destroy it with fire and fallout like I did with Earth C-207. It'd be easy, despite the primitive technology of this time period, but then, where's the fun in that?"

"Then just choose a way to destroy the world so I can get on with my so-called life!" said Lady Darklight.

"This is what you were created for; the destruction of Sora and his companions," said Columbina, "the rest of your purpose can wait until then."

"You may have brought about my existence," said Lady Darklight, "but I am not some tool for you to use as you see fit!"

"On the contrary, my dear," said Columbina as she smiled innocently, "I was going to let you decide how the game was to play out."

"Oh? Well, I suppose that's different," said Lady Darklight.

"Don't listen to her!" exclaimed Aiden, "I don't know what she did to make you like this, but you can't trust Columbina! She'll use you like she used so many others and toss you out like garbage when she's done with you!"

"Oh, I intend to hang on to this one for a very long time," said Columbina.

"Whatever," said Aiden, "the point is, you can still get away from her!"

"There's still a chance to take back your life!" said Tess, "to take back your heart."

"I'm afraid that time has come and gone," said Lady Darklight, "now don't talk to me for a bit, I need to think about this game of Columbina's. The sooner I win it, the sooner I can conquer The Realms of Light."

"You can't do that!" said Sora, "I refuse to believe that you want to take over the Realms of Light."

"I can and will, I just need to think," said Lady Darklight.

Just then several raving Splicers charged into the area, but before Sora and the others could react, Lady Darklight raised one hand and with a flick of her wrist, disintegrated the bloodthirsty lunatics.

"I am _trying _to think here!" snapped Lady Darklight, "how am I supposed to think with so many distractions!?"

"So _you're _here in person," said Riku.

"Yes, and if you try to attack me, I'll reduce to you ashes before you can blink!" said Lady Darklight, "now please be quiet! I need to think!"

"Be sure to make it a fair game, my dear," said Columbina, "we must be sporting. It'd be unfair if Sora and his companions did not have a chance to win, no matter how minute that chance is."

"As if you ever gave us a fair chance," said Kairi.

"BE QUIET!" snapped Lady Darklight. She then smiled wickedly, "oh, have I got an idea." She then waved her hands and before anyone could react, Kairi vanished, as did Dr. Tenenbaum and the rescued Little Sisters.

"NO!" shouted Sora as he and the others realized what had happened.

"Superb!" said a joyful Columbina, "absolutely superb! I couldn't have planned it better myself."

"What did you do to them, you psycho bitch!" snapped Calvin.

"I put them somewhere safe," said Lady Darklight, "someplace you'll never find unless you find me first."

Just then the Lord of Illusions appeared next to Columbina, "hey, this city's absolutely disgusting, you know that?"

"What the hell!?" exclaimed Tess, "you're dead!"

"Of course I'm dead, I just haven't stopped moving," said the trickster dryly, "seriously, Columbina, this city's a mess."

"Come now, Leslie," said Columbina, "you've been to worse places."

"Not like this," said The Lord of Illusions, "so, if you don't need me…"

"I do need you," said Columbina, "I need you stir up some trouble in Rapture while Sora and his friends are playing our game."

"_My _game," insisted Lady Darklight, "and you will be what you are, a nuisance. Or would you rather I kill more of your doppelgangers? Who knows? I might just get lucky and take out the real you."

"So that's how you've been cheating death!" said Riku, "you've got copies of yourself running around!"

"Yes, and they're very expensive copies," said The Lord of Illusions.

"So here are the rules of the game, Sora," said Columbina. "You have a choice; you can either go after me or Lady Darklight. Catch either of us and we'll tell you where Kairi and the other hostages are."

"While at the same time, you'll have to find the keycard," said Lady Darklight.

"Splendid suggestion!" said Columbina in a delighted tone. She then held up the keycard, then vanished it, "I've put it someplace that you lot will be hard pressed to find."

"If you fail to find it in…say…two hours," said Lady Darklight, "the key will be used to activate Rapture's self destruct mechanism."

"Another splendid suggestion!" said Columbina, "yes, fail to find the key and Rapture will be destroyed. At the same time, dear Leslie here will be stalking you and your companions with his doppelgangers, Sora."

"And if we refuse to play?" Chrissie asked.

"Then Kairi, Dr. Tenenbaum and all those rescued Little Sisters are pretty much dead," said Malcolm in a defeated tone, "we've got no choice, Sora, we've got to play."

"Yeah, I know," said Sora as he glared hatefully at Columbina, "and if we win, not only will you leave us alone for good, but you're taking that mask off!"

"That's right! It's about time we knew who's been making our lives so miserable," said Tess.

"Deal," said Lady Darklight.

"I beg your pardon!" snapped Columbina, "I never agreed to that! It's bad enough that I promised Regina and her ilk that I'd unmask myself to them!"

"So you are working with Regina and the other baddies!" said Aiden, "just what is your deal!?"

"My deal is just that, my own," said Columbina, "so, are we going to play, Sora?"

"Don't we have any say in this!?" Rachael asked irately, "this is our city, after all."

"Of course you have a say in it," said Columbina, "no say at all that is. You either play or your city will be destroyed!"

"Why stop with Rapture?" asked The Lord of Illusions, "why not use Rapture to destroy the world?"

"What an intriguing suggestion," said Columbina in a thoughtful manner, "yes, yes, that can work out. Alright, Sora, as an added incentive, I'll make it so that when Rapture goes, the world goes with it."

"Oh really?" Malcolm asked, "and how are you going to do that?"

"You just had to ask," groaned an irate Tess, while Aiden and Riku face-palmed.

At that Columbina frowned slightly, "hmmm, how _am_ I going to do that?."

"Why don't you just rig the geothermal reactors to send an feedback pulse down to the Earth's core and cause worldwide earthquakes that'll shake the whole planet apart?" Rachael asked. She then winced at her own slip of the tongue.

"Splendid!" said a delighted Columbina, "with an imagination like that, I might just let you live. So be it. When Rapture goes, so will the Earth!"

"The game begins now, Sora," said Lady Darklight, "good luck, you're going to need it." At that she vanished, as did the avatars of Columbina and The Lord of Illusions.

"Good going, Rachael!" snapped Joshua, "not only is Rapture doomed, but so is the entire world!"

"Let's just get aboard that starship of yours and run like hell," said Travis to Sora.

"No!" said Sora, "no way are we leaving Kairi, Dr. Tenenbaum and the rescued Little Sisters behind!"

"And no way are we leaving Columbina with that keycard," said Riku, "and we've got to stop that Princess of Dark before she goes on a rampage."

"Who is she?" Tess asked, "Columbina said she was someone we knew, but who?"

"I'd know if she was Merida," said Malcolm, "and I'm fairly sure she's not Rapunzel, Anna or Lillian. And Columbina isn't so spiteful that she'd go back to hurt Violet again."

"But who then?" Sora asked.

"Hey! We've got less than two hours before they blow up Rapture and take the world with it!" said Chrissie, "we've got to find those maniacs and find them now!"

Just then Sora's cellphone rang, "Sora! I heard the whole thing!" said Sidney, "I'm scanning Rapture from it's foundations up but no sign of Kairi, Dr. Tenenbaum, those girls or any of the baddies!"

"They've got to be here," said Sora.

"For all we know, Columbina and Darklight are cheating," said Riku, "they've probably taken Kairi and the others somewhere else and are watching us from somewhere."

"They'll laugh at us as we run around like headless chickens," said Tess.

"No, I'd know if someone teleported away from Rapture," said Sidney, "on the other hand, there are several areas of the city that my scanners can't lock in on. Those subspace distortions, they're getting worse."

"How worse?" Sora asked.

"Worse that you'd be lucky to keep your Keyblades out for more than a few minutes at a time," said Sidney. "If I'm right, and I hope to God that I'm not this time, then the dimensional doorway that's creating the distortions is destabilizing. You've got to find and turn it off somehow before the distortions get any worse. And before you ask how worse it can get, imagine reality in and around Rapture tearing itself to pieces. The laws of physics will be meaningless and chaos will reign, at least in this part of the North Atlantic, or so say my calculations. It's not easy to get an exact figure on these things, you know."

"So what do we do if we can't use our Keyblades?" Malcolm asked.

"We still use them, sparingly," said Tess. She then walked over to one of the nearby dead Splicers and picked up a shotgun and several boxes of shells, then pocketed a modified revolver, "and make due with whatever's available."

"Works for me," said Riku as he picked up a machinegun, then tossed another to Sora, while Aiden picked up a crossbow and Malcolm a chemical thrower.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" asked Aiden as he and the others scrounged for as much ammunition as they could find in the area, while Rachael hacked a nearby Ammo Bandit and Circus of Values for more supplies.

"We split up and search the city," said Sora, "some go after Columbina, some go after Lady Darklight and the rest try to find that dimensional doorway device."

"I'll provide more directions as you go along," said Sidney, "don't worry, everyone, I'll find Kairi, Dr. Tenenbaum and the girls, even if I have to scan every single atom that makes up Rapture."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Chrissie.

"Wait, it may not," said Sidney, "I'm detecting multiple human life sings surrounded by scores of Splicers in Point Prometheus, all of the humans are female."

"It's got to be them!" said Malcolm.

"What about Columbina and Darklight?" Riku asked.

"I'm still looking for them," said Sidney, "but as for the dimensional doorway device, the highest concentration of the subspace disturbances is centered in an area of Rapture called The Proving Grounds."

"That's where they make Big Daddies, among other atrocities," said Chrissie.

"Then let's split it like this," said Chrissie, "Sora, Malcolm and Rachael will go to Point Prometheus and save Kairi, Dr. T and the Little Sisters. Tess, you, me and Travis will to the Proving Grounds to shut down the dimensional doorway thingy. Riku, Aiden, Joshua, Calvin and Liza, you're to hunt down and terminate those maniacs."

"With extreme prejudice if possible," said an eager Liza.

"Exactly," said Chrissie, "and if we're lucky, very, very lucky, we'll all be able to leave Rapture and never look back."

"I'll guide you all every step of the way and beyond," said Sidney, "good luck, all of you!"

"Same to you, Sidney," said Sora. With that our heroes and allies split up and went off to what was sure to be a cataclysmic climax.

* * *

"These Splicers are pathetic!" snapped Lady Tremaine after she mentally tortured several of the mutated madmen to death, "their brains are already so addled by drugs, it's a wonder they feel any suffering at all!"

"And they're bodies are equally pathetic," said Gaston after he ripped several Splicers to pieces, "I thought that ADAM stuff was supposed to make you stronger, not more breakable!"

"No one ever said that ADAM was perfect," said Insano as he went through several papers on a dust-covered table. The dark conclave was in the middle of an abandoned, secret lab in the Rapture Welcome Center, having taking a tour of the failed utopia, and running into several men in white business suit-like lab coats.

"Yes, ADAM is flawed," said one of the men in suit-like lab coats, "yet has potential, especially to the right buyer."

"Well, you Foundation X folks are all about making a profit," said Dio Brando, "you don't care what you make, so long as it kills people and is worth a fortune. You're my kind of scum."

"Scum!" snapped another of the Foundation X scientists, "scum! How dare you call us scum! We at Foundation X take pride in our work. We accept only the most promising projects and put our best effort into turning out the best product our research can produce."

"We're professionals with standards," said a third Foundation X scientist.

"Yeah, professional death merchants," said Dio Brando, "scum by any other name."

"Ignore my bloodthirsty colleague," said Sephiroth as he examined a nearby Big Daddy suit, "it's obvious he was dropped on his head as a child."

"If only my madness were that simple," said Dio Brando.

"So, you and yours received the specifics for multiple scientific advances discovered in Rapture," said Young Xehanort to the Foundation X scientists, "in return you promised this Frank Fontanne ultimate power."

"But you left a flaw in the Omega Plasmid," said Regina, "a flaw that will be Fontaine's undoing."

"As if we'd turn our backs on a degenerate like Fontaine without a means of culling him," said one of the Foundation X scientists, "the man was out of control even before we showed up."

"And you're just leaving?" Gaston asked as he tore the arms off of a Splicer, while Lady Tremaine tortured two more.

"We have what we want," said the first Foundation X scientist, "plenty of ADAM samples and enough research data to keep our analysis personal occupied for years." He then indicated the several Foundation X technicians loading boxes of papers, vials of raw and refined ADAM and audio tape reels onto hand trucks, which were then taken through a nearby portal.

"Is is safe to have one of those open here?" a slightly nervous Regina asked, "I could sense the unstable atmosphere of this place all the way from Castle Oblivion."

"The original dimensional doorway device is becoming unstable," said one of the Foundation X scientists, "we estimate that an area of one-hundred and seventy-seven miles from Rapture shall become uninhabitable for all life, right down to the smallest microbe."

"Then what are we still doing here?!" said Lady Tremaine irately, "let's go before who knows what happens!?"

"And miss out on an opportunity to watch Sora and his companions fail?" Regina asked, "or at least come close to failure? I was in the depths of despair before, but coming to Rapture, this place intrigues me. Stretching my legs in this dystopian nightmare, I feel like a new Evil Queen."

"Glad you feel so revitalized," said Lady Tremaine sarcastic, "where as the rest of us, we would rather not suffer whatever horrors are unleashed when that dimensional contraption decides to have a breakdown!"

"We'll be long gone before reality becomes too unstable," said Young Xehanort. He then glared at Regina, "won't we?"

"Of course, of course," said Regina as she looked at the schematics for an upgraded Big Daddy suit.

Just then Fontaine staggered into the area, "YOU!" he exclaimed at the Foundation X scientists, "you promised that I'd be all powerful! That I'd be a god! You lied! YOU LIED!" he then nearly collapsed to the floor.

"Are you disappointed with the Omega Plasmid, Mr. Fontaine?" one of the Foundation X scientists asked dryly, "well, I'm sorry, but we at Foundation X do not give refunds."

"You gotta help me," gasped Fontaine, "I used up all the ADAM I tore out of those little monsters! There's no more, I tell you! There's no more!"

"Just suck some out of these freaks," said Gaston as he crushed the head of a Splicer.

"It wouldn't be the same," said one of the Foundation X scientists, "the Omega Plasmid needs the pure ADAM from a harvested ADAM slug, and the only way to harvest an ADAM slug is to get one from a Little Sister."

"And since our megalomaniac friend here harvested all the Little Sisters he could find," said another scientist, "and the other Little Sisters have had their conditioning removed, don't ask how that makes sense, it just does, our friend here is a bit out of luck."

"There's gotta be something yous can do!" exclaimed Fontaine, "something! Anything!"

"We might be able to come up with a solution to your predicament," said one of the scientists, "but the contract has been fulfilled. Foundation X has no more business to conduct in Rapture, so we are to take our leave."

"You can't leave me like this!" snapped Fontaine as he tried to get up.

"We can and have," said another scientist, "especially since we engendered your predicament in the first place."

"Did you honestly think we'd let you become a god and not built in a failsafe?" another scientist asked, "we're death merchants, Mr. Fontaine, not fools."

"And with that, we bid you all a fond farewell," said the lead Foundation X scientist as he and his colleagues entered the portal, "best of luck to you, Mr. Fontaine, and to you and yours, Queen Regina." With that he entered the portal, which closed up after him.

"Nice folk," said Dio Brando, "I could actually like them."

"We've seen enough of this part of Rapture," said Young Xehanort, "we should move on."

"Hopefully we'll run into Sora and his brood," said Lady Tremaine, "these Splicers no longer interest me."

"I wouldn't mind testing my mettle against a Big Daddy," said Gaston as he wiped his hands clean of blood.

"Wait!" gasped Fontaine at the villains, "you gotta help me."

"Why?" Sephiroth asked, "you mean nothing to us. If anything," he then drew Masamune an inch from its scabbard, "it'd be kinder to put you out of your misery. Then again," he then sheathed his sword, "I was never one to disperse mercy."

"That and that oversized butter knife of yours is inappropriate for Rapture," said Young Xehanort.

"My blade is not inappropriate!" said an offended Sephiroth.

"Are you kidding me?" Young Xehnaort asked, "every time we turn a corner, you have to hold your sword diagonally just so you can make it through."

"It's not inappropriate," insisted Sephrioth.

"No, just impractical," said Regina, "let us be on our way."

"You can't leave me!" snapped Fontaine as he struggled to his feet, "you gotta help me! I'll make it worth your while!"

"As if you have anything to tempt us," said Regina dryly.

"I've got cash!" said Fontaine, "Gold and silver that I secretly mined from the ocean floor, all behind Ryan's back!"

"If we wanted treasure, we'd raid Elyon's vault again," said Regina.

"Then how about technology!" said Fontaine, "you think I gave those Foundation bastards every secret Rapture has to offer?"

"The stuff this city has to offer would make a decent project," said Insano, "for a grade school science fair!" he then held up several papers, "you call this advanced! Bah! I wouldn't wipe my nose with these pathetic excuses for technical specs!" He then tore the papers to pieces and scattered them across the floor.

"You just gotta help me!" said Fontaine, "how else am I gonna get revenge on those meddling brats!?"

"Oh, it's revenge you want?" Insano asked in an intrigued manner, "that's different." he then walked over to a table that still had some functional pieces of equipment and intact chemical containers, "I believe I can come up with something mutually beneficial to both our causes."

"What are you up to now, you loopy lunatic?" asked Gaston.

"Something that'll give Sora and his ilk nightmares," said Insano as he whipped up a beaker full of glowing and foaming green liquid. He then brought the beaker over to Fontaine, "drink this and they won't stand a chance against you."

"Gladly!" said Fontaine as he grabbed the beaker and downed its contents in several gulps. He then gasped in pain and began convulsing on the floor, his skin pulsating and expanding as his mass began growing.

"What did you do to him?" a disgusted Lady Tremaine asked as she and the other nauseated villains watched Fontaine mutate further.

"I simply stimulated his already unstable genetic structure," said a gleeful Insano as he watched Fontaine become even more of a monster, "and while he's having his genetic structure rewritten for the umpteenth time or whatever," said Insano as he looked at a nearby pile of broken gadgets and junk, "I do believe I can whip up something that'll make things in Rapture a bit more…interesting."

"Interesting how?" Regina asked.

"Let's just say that if Columbina and her dark spawn don't kill off Sora and his friends," said Insano, "while our mutating friend also fails, assuming he's in any condition to fight once he's settled into his new form, this little widget of mine will."

"And just exactly will this contraption of yours do?" Lady Tremaine asked suspiciously.

"Nothing short of shaking Rapture down to its foundations!" said Insano with dark eagerness, he then held up his left index finger triumphantly, "WITH SCIENCE!" he then laughed like the maniac he was.

**The end of chapter 8**

_Next chapter finds our heroes and allies once again fighting through Rapture to save those they love from a horrific fate. 'Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	10. Chapter 9: The Triple Tribulation

_Last time found our heroes confronted by Columbina and Lady Darklight. The diabolic duo then abducted Kairi, Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters, challenging Sora and the others to find the captives and villains, all the while stop the dimensional doorway device from tearing reality in and around Rapture apart. Meanwhile, Regina and the other villains met with and joined forces with the mutated Fontaine, with Dr. Insano further mutating Fontaine into something even more foul than before. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 9: The Triple Tribulation**

…**Point Prometheus…**

"How much further, Sidney?" Sora asked into his phone as he, Malcolm and Rachael made their way through the area of Rapture that was once a museum that had been converted into a house of horrors. All around were signs of human experimentation and the remains of where innocent girls were conditioned and implanted with ADAM slugs, becoming Little Sisters.

"You're coming up on what was once a library," said Sidney via speakerphone, "past that are two sections. The one on the left has the labs where they made Plasmids and Gene Tonics."

"Still no sign of any Splicers," said Malcolm as he, Rachael and Sora entered and moved through the Mendel Family Library and up towards an intersection. To the left was a sign for Optimized Eugenics, while on the right was a sign for Failsafe Armored Escorts.

"While Columbina, Darklight and that trickster are nowhere to be seen," said Rachael as they turned left and entered Optimized Eugenics, "you guys must have really pissed them off something fierce."

"The worst part is that we still don't know why Columbina hates us so much," said Sora, "at least she should have given us an angry email or something."

"What's an email?" Rachael asked.

"Long story," said Sora, "I'll tell you and the others all about it when we leave Rapture."

"_If_ we leave Rapture," said Rachael, "not to sound like a defeatist, but I'm kinda doubting our chances."

"You think this is a sticky situation?" Malcolm asked, "remind me to tell you about the time we had to fight three different monsters that could become giant monsters, now that was a sticky situation."

"Not as sticky as the time me and the others fought The Daleks," said Sora, "and then there was that world of ninjas, and did Mirta tell you about the time Riku, Kairi and I first helped The Winx fight The Trix?"

"Thanks to you and Donald, you helped turn Mirta back from a pumpkin," said Malcolm.

"Did I ever tell you that I share Liza's belief that there's no such thing as magic?" a slightly uncomfortable Rachael asked, only to flinch from a fired bullet that ricocheted off the wall an inch from her head, "but we could really use some now!" she cried as she, Malcolm and Sora were forced to take cover from more gunfire. Sora risked a look and saw seven Splicers, three with pistols, three with machineguns and one with grenades.

"Forgive me, father!" moaned one of the Splicers that was shooting at them, "they know not what I do!"

"Oh, we know plenty, you prick!" shouted Malcolm. He then picked up a piece of scrap metal and threw it over his head, distracting the psychotic gunmen long enough for he, Sora and Rachael to get into position to shoot back, only for the Splicer with the grenades to throw one right at them. They ducked just in time to avoid death via explosion.

"We'll never get to Kairi and the others at this rate!" said Sora as he and Malcolm ducked another exploding grenade.

"Boys," sighed Rachael. She then charged up a red sphere of liquid and threw it at the Splicer with the grenades, coating him in the red liquid and sending the already out of control lunatic completely berserk as he tossed his grenades at his fellow maniacs, all the while screaming his lungs out.

"Take This!" shouted Rachael once the other Splicers were dead. She rushed at the Nitro Splicer and bashed it on the head, dropping the maniac to the floor like a pile of bricks.

"How do you do it?" Malcolm asked as he and Sora walked up to Rachel, "you and the others, how you do it?"

"What?" Rachael asked as she wiped bloody bits of skull and brains from her wrench, "kill Splicers? We just do. I thought it was obvious by now."

"I mean how can you do it without feeling?" Malcolm asked, "don't you feel anything?"

"These were normal people once," said Sora as he looked at the dead Splicers, "they were good people before ADAM ruined their lives. I'll bet some of the Splicers we've seen were friends of yours or the others."

"I'm sure you're right," said Rachael, "I'm sure that I did know some of the Splicers I killed, and so did Chrissie and the others. But they're not human anymore. They're not the people we once knew. Again, I thought it was obvious by now."

"But don't you feel anything?" Malcolm asked, "any remorse for the act of killing?"

"Do you feel anything for killing those Heartless you told me and the others about?" Rachael, "or about those monsters you've destroyed? Do you feel remorse for putting evil out of its misery?"

"No," said Sora, "but I do feel sorry for those who chose to be evil."

"And we feel sorry for those who took so much ADAM they fucked themselves up beyond repair," said Rachael, "believe me, I wish I didn't have to kill, but in Rapture these days, it's kill or be killed. Once again, I thought it was obvious by now."

"It is," said Malcolm, "I'm just sorry it had to come to that."

"Me too," said Rachael.

"Uh, while you people are discussing the morality of survival," said Sidney over Sora's phone, "you're less than a hundred yards from those female human life signs."

"Kairi!" shouted Sora as he ran ahead, leaving Malcolm and Rachael momentarily hesitating, before they ran after him.

"Damn, he's really upset," said Rachael as they chased after Sora.

"How'd you feel if the love of your life was repeatedly kidnapped and/or tortured?" Malcolm asked, "for all we know, Columbina's got Kairi hooked up to a torture rack or something."

"If that masked bitch is doing anything to Dr. Tenenbaum, I'll skin her alive and feed her to the giant squids!" snapped Rachael.

They soon caught up with Sora, whom was desperately trying to force open a locked metal door.

"Sora, it's clearly locked from the inside," said Malcolm as he and Rachael saw Sora struggle to open the door.

"I don't care!" shouted Sora as he found a discarded crowbar and began pounding on the door, "I've got to get in there!"

"Just hang on," said Rachael as she and Malcolm grabbed Sora and pulled him away from the door, "you're not helping."

"I'd like to see you help!" snapped Sora. He then realized what he just said, "sorry, I…"

"You're in love, that's plenty an excuse for me," said Rachael, "but how to get the door open? It's locked from the inside, but…" she examined the wall around the door and found a hidden access panel, "here's the lock, a combination lock at that. Good thing I can hack these as easily as vending machines and Security tech." She opened up the access panel and began fiddling with the inner workings.

"What happens if you mess up on a hack?" Malcolm asked.

Rachael then cried out in sudden pain and flinched away from the panel, holding up two sore fingers, "at best," she said in an annoyed tone, "I get hurt for my troubles. At worse, I get really hurt and get a visit from a bunch of Security drones. Now shut up and let me work here!" she then resumed her hack. A few seconds later she stood back with a satisfied smile on her face as the door opened.

"KAIRI!" shouted Sora as he ran headlong through the doorway.

"Your welcome!" said an annoyed Rachael as she and Malcolm hurried after Sora.

They found him standing in the middle of a large, circular metal chamber illuminated by several overhanging lamps. Water dripped from the ceiling, echoing through the room ominously.

"There's nothing here," said Malcolm as he saw the look of defeated depression on Sora's face, "Sidney, are you sure you've got the right place?"

"Maybe her senses aren't as cracked up as she might think," said Rachael.

"Hey! Don't doubt my cyber skills!" said Sidney, "I detected female life signs and they should be there, and…oh…oh…that's not good at all."

"What's not good?" Malcolm asked, just as the door they just ran through clanged shut, "oh, that."

"There's no access panel on this side!" said Rachael as she examined the door and around it.

"It was never meant to be opened," said Dr. Tenenbaum from above. Sora, Malcolm and Rachel looked up and saw a bound Dr. Tenenbaum locked in a cage suspended from the ceiling. With her in the cage, bound and gagged were the rescued Little Sisters.

"Hang on, Dr. T!" shouted Rachael, "we'll get you out of there in a flash!"

"Where's Kairi!?" Sora shouted as Rachael and Malcolm searched for a means of getting Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters down.

"That horrible woman has her somewhere!" said Dr. Tenenbaum, "the one with the mask!"

"Columbina," said Malcolm, "that bitch doesn't know when to stop!"

"First thing's first!" said Rachael, "help me find a way to get them down!"

Just then they all heard a loud clattering sound from high up in the ceiling, above the illumination of the lamps. Something heavy then fell to the floor, something that revealed itself to be an enormous Big Daddy, one easily twice the size of a Bouncer, with one arm fitted with its usual eviscerating drill, the other carrying a massive welding torch, while attached to its back via articulated, multi-jointed arms were four smaller yet no less deadly drills.

"What is that thing!?" exclaimed Rachael as the oversized Bouncer stalked towards her, Sora and Malcolm.

"An experimental Big Daddy model," said Dr. Tenenbaum.

"I can see as much!" said Malcolm as he ducked a lunging drill attack from the oversized Bouncer, then ducked two of the smaller drills, then barely dodged a barrage of machinegun bullets.

Sora countered with a burst of machinegun fire from his weapon, but then had to dodge a rushing drill strike.

Rachael tried to get behind and rush at the oversized Bouncer, but the creature seemed to sense her approach, turned around and shot at her. She rolled to the side and shot a bolt of lightning at the creature. The oversized Big Daddy moaned and froze in place as electricity coursed through its form.

"Electricity is its weakness!" exclaimed Malcolm as he removed the napalm tank from his chemical thrower and replaced it with electro gel, while Sora loaded his machinegun with a magazine of armor piercing rounds. Malcolm sprayed the giant Bouncer with electro gel, causing the creature to freeze in place as it was electrocuted again, leaving Sora free to fire several armor piercing rounds into it.

At the same time, Rachael ran up to and jumped onto the creature's back, smashing three of the smaller drills with her wrenches before the oversized Bouncer threw her off and tried to impale her with its large drill, only for Malcolm to spray it with more electro gel and Sora to shoot more armor piercing rounds.

Rachael got onto the creature again and slammed her wrenches into its helmet, smashing the helmet and revealing the head of a Nova Shadow.

"That thing's being controlled by a Heartless!" shouted Sora as he summoned his Keyblade, rushed at the helmet-less Bouncer, jumped up and stabbed the Nova Shadow in the head. The controlling Heartless vanished in a puff of smoke, while the oversized Bouncer suit collapsed.

"Well, that was…unexpected," said Rachael as she, Sora and Malcolm looked at the empty Big Daddy suit.

"You think they're all like that on the inside?" Malcolm asked, "controlled by Heartless?"

"No," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "they were men, conditioned to protect Little Sisters with their lives."

"If you people don't mind," said one of the Little Sisters, "could you get us down now?"

"There's no controls to get you down!" said Rachael, "and there's no way to climb up!"

"Hang on, I got an idea!" said Malcolm as he summoned his Keyblade. He threw it up at the cages, cutting the chains. Malcolm then used a levitation spell to hover the cages to the floor, upon which he sighed with exhaustion and nearly fell over, only to be caught by Sora.

"I used up all my magic without meaning to," said Malcolm as Rachael bashed the locks on the cages with her wrenches, freeing Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters, "I hope Tess, Chrissie and Travis shut that machine off soon."

"Me too," said Sora as he wiped sweat from his brow, "using my Keybalde for only a bit really wiped me out."

"Then let's go help the others," said Rachael, "get Dr. T and the little Sisters someplace safe, then go help Riku, Chrissie and the others."

"Fine by me," said Malcolm, "but I have a few questions first," he then stood up and looked at Dr. Tenenbaum with accusing eyes, "you haven't been completely honest with us, have you, Dr. Tenenbaum."

"What do you mean?" asked Dr. Tenenbaum.

"You could have warned us about that big Big Daddy," said Malcolm, "and about the Omega Plasmid."

"You left out so much," said Sora, "but most of all, you left out that one of your Little Sisters was hiding something!"

"They never told me that they had your missing power!" said an annoyed Dr. Tenenbaum, "and before you accuse me of any further subterfuge, let me say that…"

Just then the chamber trembled for several seconds, then trembled again.

"That's not a good shake," said Malcolm.

"In Rapture, it's never good," said Rachael.

Just then what seemed like the entire section of the city trembled violently.

"What's happening!?" exclaimed Sora.

"SORA!" shouted Sidney from his phone, "you've got to get out of there! Point Prometheus is collapsing!"

"Is it that obvious?" Malcolm asked after they ran out of the chamber and saw that the whole area was shaking. Walls and glass were cracking all around, while the structural supports of the area were buckling.

"What's happening?" Rachel asked as she looked around with panicked eyes, "why is Point Prometheus collapsing?"

"It's not just Point Prometheus," said Sidney, "it's half of Rapture! Oh, Riku's group got the keycard back, while Tess's group deactivated the dimensional doorway device."

"That's great, but is this really the time?!" Sora asked, just as several windows shattered and a torrent of water began pouring in.

* * *

…**Apollo Square…a few minutes ago…**

"Just how many Splicers are there in Rapture, anyway!?" exclaimed Aiden as he, Riku, Joshua, Calvin and Lisa, slogged their way through a seemingly endless horde of Splicers.

"Too many for my taste!" said Joshua as he shot a grenade into a group of Splicers, destroying them in a burst of fire and metal fragments.

"That seems to be the last of them for now," said Calvin, "let's move on."

"Move on where?" an exasperated Riku asked, "we've searched all over this horrible place! And don't get me started on how horrible it was! How could they do it? How could they turn honest, hardworking men into those lumbering abominations?"

"Some volunteered," said Liza, "some were forced, I don't know. All I know is that the keycard isn't here."

Just then Lady Darklight appeared hovering Riku and the others in a reclining position, "or you could ask me. After all, I'm the one who hid it."

"Then give it back, you crazy bitch!" snapped Joshua as he aimed his chemical thrower at Lady Darklight and shot a blast of burning napalm at her.

"Uh-uh-uh," said Lady Darklight as he easily deflected the fire with a wave of her hand, then hit Joshua in the chest with a ball of dark purple, almost black and energy-sapping fire, "there'll be no foul language during the game."

"We're not playing your fucking games, you bitch!" snapped Calvin as Liza and Riku helped a smoldering and severely weakened Joshua back up, only for Calvin to be hit in the chest with a fireball.

"You'll follow my rules or else!" snapped Lady Darklight, "Rule Number One: No Foul Language."

"What's rule number two?" Aiden asked cautiously.

"Rule Two: you must play the game to the end," said Lady Darklight, "that's the only way you'll ever get your paws on the keycard."

"So, are we going to fight over it? Or are we really going to play a game?" Riku asked as he and Liza helped a weakened Calvin back up.

"If it's an actual game you want to play," said Aiden as he smiled confidently, "then why don't I pick? I challenge you to Snakes and Ladders!"

"Uh…no," said Lady Darklight in a thoughtful manner, "I'd rather not play board games."

"Why not?" Aiden asked, "if not Snakes and Ladders, then how about Monopoly? Or Backgammon, or plain chess? Oh, what about 3D Chess?"

"What about a game of wits and reasoning?" Liza asked, "a round of riddles?"

"Riddles?" Lady Darklight asked, "I don't know…I honestly don't know if I'm any good at riddles. I know quite a few, but as for solving them…"

"Here's one for free," said Liza, "what walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?"

"Man, of course," said Lady Darklight, "well, aren't you the clever one."

"I was always smart, even more I took ADAM," said Liza, "but what about you? Did whatever that horrible…person, Columbina, what she did to you, did it make you smart as well as evil?"

"We shall see just how powerful my mind has become," said Lady Darklight, "we shall play a game of riddles. Who so ever answers wrong or fails to give an answer loses."

"What happens if you lose?" Liza asked.

"I'll give you the keycard, plain and simple," said Lady Darklight, "and if you lose, I torture you to death, then I start on your friends."

"NO!" shouted Calvin as he tried to rush at Lady Darklight but barely had the strength to stagger a few paces before collapsing into Riku and Aiden's arms, "don't do it, Liza!"

"I have to!" said Liza, "I offered the challenge!"

"There's another way!" said Aiden, "there's always another way," he glared at Lady Darklight, "you want to play a game? Play with me! I'm still up for Snakes and Ladders!"

"I don't think you can psyche her out like you did when Lara was a vampire," said Riku.

"I can try," said Aiden.

"I've already decided on riddles," said Lady Darklight. "If you don't like it, we can resort to brutal brawling. I'm as anxious to test my other abilities as I am to test my mind."

"There's no way we can fight her with you two in your condition," said Liza as she looked at Calvin and Joshua, then at Riku and Aiden, "and with your abilities on the frits. Trust me, I've got this."

"I hope so," said Joshua, "because if you don't, then pray for a quick death. She seems like the type to enjoy inflicting pain."

"I honestly don't know if I do enjoy inflicting pain," said Lady Darklight. "Let's make it a bit more interesting; you'll have three chances to answer a riddle. Guess wrong the first time and you suffer a mild pain, such as a short but intense headache. Guess wrong again and the pain will be much, much worse. Guess wrong a third time and you'll be begging for death."

"I hope the same applies to you," said Liza.

"It will," said Lady Darklight, "and so, let the game begin! Since you offered a riddle already, the first official move is mine; Who makes it, has no need of it? Who buys it, has no use for it? Who uses it can neither see nor feel it? What is it?"

"Uh…hmmm," said Liza in a thoughtful manner as she began pacing, "'who buys but has no need or use, who uses can neither see or feel…wow, this is a jiffy."

"Give up?" Lady Darklight asked in an insidious tone, "I forgot to add the punishment for giving up. Let's say that if you do, I break one of your fingers."

"I haven't given up," said Liza, "the answer is a coffin."

At that Lady Darklight glared and snarled at Liza, "very clever, little girl, very clever indeed."

"I don't get it," said Joshua.

"That's because you don't remember living topside," said Calvin.

"Well, I don't get it," said Aiden.

"An undertaker makes a coffin when he doesn't use it," said Riku, "while you buy it while you're still alive. And when you're dead, you don't see or feel the coffin."

"My turn," said Liza, "what gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?"

"I…uh…umm…err…" said Lady Darklight as she frowned with confusion.

"Oh, please," said a slightly disappointed and annoyed Joshua, "everyone in Rapture knows that one."

"But _she _doesn't," said Calvin.

"Having trouble?" Liza asked as she smiled mischievously, "I could give you a hint."

"What I want is a chance to think, you little twerp!" snapped Lady Darklight, "now…" she began pacing, "'what gets wetter and wetter the more it dries,' uh…it's…uh…" she then wiped some sweat from her brow, "it'd be easier if it weren't so humid here!"

"There's moisture everywhere in Rapture," said Liza, "get used to it."

"You get used to it!" said Lady Darklight irately as she summoned a black handkerchief and wiped her brow. She then looked at the square of embroidered lace and grinned wickedly, "oh, clever," she then grinned at Liza, "very clever, I almost gave up. The answer is a towel!"

"Shit," muttered Liza, only to cry out in pain as a small ball of black fire burned her hand.

"I thought you wouldn't hurt her unless she got it wrong!" snapped Riku.

"She forgot Rule Number One," said Lady Darklight, "no foul language."

"My mistake," said a weakened Lisa as she glared at Lady Darklight while clutching her burned hand, "I won't forget again. Your move."

"Gladly," said Lady Darklight, "thirteen people came into a hotel with twelve rooms and each guest wanted his own room. The bellboy solved this problem thus; He asked the thirteenth guest to wait a while with the first guest in room number 1. So in the first room there were two people. The bellboy took the third guest to room number 2, the fourth to number 3 and so on and so forth, with the twelfth guest in room number 11. Then he returned to room number 1 and took the thirteenth guest to room number 12, still vacant. How can everybody have his own room?"

"Uh…hang on," said Liza as she paced back and forth while occasionally scratching her head, "hang on…uh…"

"Oh, there's the small factor of a time limit we forgot to set," said Lady Darklight, "I'd say sixty seconds would be fair."

"No! Make it two minutes!" said Aiden.

"Sixty seconds!" insisted Lady Darklight, "would you like it to be thirty seconds?"

"None of you are helping me!" said Liza as she glared at Calvin, Aiden and the others, "I can't think of an answer if you're all shouting…uh…thirteen guests but twelve rooms, two in the first room, one in the rest, how can they all have their own rooms?"

"Time's up!" exclaimed Lady Darklight, "with two in the first room, not all can have one room!"

"I…what?! That's not fair!" exclaimed Liza, only for her to cry out in pain and clutch at her left eye.

"Liza!" exclaimed Calvin as he got to his feet and rush over to her.

"I…I'm alright," said Liza as she lowered her hand, "I just had this horrible headache behind my eye."

"That's one strike against you," said Lady Darklight as she smiled insidiously, "two more and you're all mine."

"We're not there yet," said Liza as she set her jaw with grim determination, "it's my turn now; The captain of a ship was telling this interesting story: "We traveled the sea far and wide. At one time, two of my sailors were standing on opposite sides of the ship. One was looking west and the other one east. And at the same time, they could see each other clearly." How can that be possible?"

At that Lady Darklight frowned, "uh….half a moment," she began pacing, "east and west on opposite ends of the ship…uh…they, no…they were…no, that's not right either."

"I think I get it now," said Riku to Aiden, "sea riddles, Liza's trying to stump her with sea riddles."

"Let's just hope she really doesn't know anything about the sea," said Aiden.

"Time's up!" exclaimed Liza triumphantly.

"No, I need just a little more!" shouted Lady Darklight, before stumbling and clutching at her head, "you miserable little brat! What's the answer! Tell me!"

"They could see each other because they were on the _sides _of the ship," said Liza, "starboard and port, not bow and stern."

"She really got you that time!" laughed Joshua.

"Be quiet!" snapped Lady Darklight, "or I'll burn you all alive!"

"If you're going to threaten my friends like that, then the game's off!" said Liza, "come on, everyone, we don't need this psychopath to tell us where the keycard is, we can find it ourselves."

"You can tear this city apart and never find it!" said Lady Darklight, "it's in the last place a man would ever look!"

"Is that your next riddle then?" Aiden asked suspiciously.

"Uh…no," said Lady Darklight, "or…or it can be …"

"You already said it wasn't," said Liza, "now pick a real riddle."

"Oh, I'll pick one, I'll pick a real juicy one," said Lady Darklight, "What is greater than God, more evil than Satan, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die. What is it?"

"You're asking a riddle about religion?" Liza asked, "I don't know anything about that! Wait! That's not my answer!" but she then cried out in unbridled agony and collapsed to the floor.

"What'd you do to her!?" Aiden demanded as he, Riku, Joshua and Calvin rushed to Liza's side.

"She's suffering her second strike," said Lady Darklight, "I'd say she's experiencing the sensation of having ever single bone in her body broken at the same time."

"You didn't even give her a chance, you lunatic!" snapped Riku.

"No, it's alright," said Liza weakly as she slowly got back to her feet, "I should have been more careful with my words, they hurt, after all."

"Do you require a rest?" Lady Darklight asked, "a five minute break? Some 'em if you got 'em?"

"Smoking is hazardous to your health," said Liza, "try this one for size; A ladder hangs over the side of a ship anchored in a port. The bottom rung touches the water. The distance between rungs is 20 cm and the length of the ladder is 180 cm. The tide is rising at the rate of 15 cm each hour. When will the water reach the seventh rung from the top?"

"A math problem, is it?" Lady Darklight asked, "why don't you ask me what 2+2 is? The answer to your riddle is never! The water will raise the ship via buoyancy, so only the first rung will be covered," she then smiled viciously, "math and logic are clearly my strong points."

"Why didn't Columbina make you like animals instead of math?" Aiden asked irately.

"Oh, I like animals," said Lady Darklight, "that's why I'll spare the wildlife of the Realms of Light, just kill all humans and the various non-human heroes. Now, my turn; What does man love more than life, fear more than death or mortal strife? What the poor have, the rich require, and what contented men desire? What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves and all men carry to their graves? What is it?"

"I…I..." said a confounded Liza.

"Oh, give her a break, you monster!" snapped Calvin.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Lady Darklight asked, "if I wanted to play fair, I wouldn't be asking an impossible riddle, now would I? Besides, I'm enjoying her mental struggle to grasp an impossible answer."

"Nothing's impossible!" shouted Malcolm, "you can do it, Liza!"

"But I've got nothing," whispered Liza.

"What?!" exclaimed Lady Darklight, her eyes blazing with fury, "what did you say!?"

"I said…'nothing,'" said Liza as she smiled with renewed confidence, "the answer is 'nothing,' in fact, that's the same answer to the riddle you gave before!"

"Why you…you…damn dirty snot-nosed bitch!" snapped Lady Darklight, only for Joshua, his stamina renewed, to rush up and slap her across the face.

"You broke your own rule," said a grinning Joshua, "no foul language."

"And it's my turn now!" said Liza, "and it'd better be a good one, I'm running out of ideas."

"If you cannot come up with one, you forfeit," said Lady Darklight.

"I know, damn it!" snapped Liza, "I need a minute, that's all."

"How about this one?" Calvin asked as he walked up to and whispered something into Liza's ear.

"You can't do that!" snapped Lady Darklight, "no help from anyone else!"

"You never said I couldn't help in your rules," said Calvin, he then whispered his suggestion into Liza's ear again, "well?"

"That could work," said Liza, "here goes everything," she then looked at Lady Darklight, "riddle me this: We hurt without moving. We poison without touching. We bear the truth and the lies. We are not to be judged by our size. What are we?"

"I refuse to answer that!" said Lady Darklight stubbornly as she crossed her arms, "pick another, without outside interference!"

"You will answer or you'll forfeit!" said Liza, "now answer!"

"You want an answer!? I'll give you an answer!" snapped Lady Darklight, "Magic! That's the answer!"

"Wrong!" said Liza triumphantly, "'words,' that's the answer."

"Why you…!" spat Lady Darklight, just before she cried out in agony and fell to the floor.

"Now you know what it's like to have all your bones broken at once," said Joshua vindictively.

"We're tied at two strikes apiece," said Liza.

"Screw this!" said Lady Darklight wrathfully as she stood up and summoned her black Keyblade, "I'm killing you all here and now!" she then rushed at Liza, only for Riku to jump in and block the black Keyblade with his Keyblade.

"If you can't play by your own rules, you shouldn't play at all!" said Riku as he deflected Lady Darklight's furious Keyblade strikes.

"I make the rules here, you little shit!" snapped Lady Darklight as she knocked Riku's Keyblade aside and hit him in the chest with a ball of energy-sapping, fire, knocking him against the wall and collapsing him to the floor.

But then Liza pulled out her modified revolver and shot at Lady Darklight point blank range, while Calvin unloaded a full magazine of Anti-personal machinegun rounds at the vile woman, while Joshua sprayed her with a full tank of liquid nitrogen.

All of this Lady Darklight deflected with a barrier, then unleashed a wave of energy-sapping fire that knocked Joshua, Liza and Calvin down.

"Now, if you all will just hold still while I finish you off," said Lady Darklight, "I can…"

That's as far as she got before Aiden, whom had gotten behind the vile woman, hit her over the head with his Keyblade. She endured the blow but was dazed enough so that when she turned around, Aiden was able to hit her again, this time knocking her flat on her back. Aiden then transmuted the floor into a set of metal restraints that clamped onto her wrists and ankles, immobilizing the vile woman.

"You guys alright?" Aiden asked in an exhausted tone, while Riku and the others got back up weakly.

"Just need to catch my breath," said Joshua, "that…that whatever it was, it really packs a punch."

"It's dark magic at its worst," said Riku.

"There's no such thing as magic," said Liza automatically.

"I'm not even gonna argue with that," said Aiden. He then looked at the irate and restrained Lady Darklight, "now, what about her?"

"I say hit her and keep hitting her until she tell us where the keycard is," said Calvin.

"I'll never tell!" snapped Lady Darklight as she struggled against her restraints, "just wait until I get out of this! I'll sew your mouths to your assholes and make a human centipede!"

"Oh, that's just sick!" said a disgusted Riku, "I hated that movie!"

"I say one of us puts on a pressure suit," said Joshua, "go out an airlock, find a sea snake and introduce it to her."

"They say sea snakes are the most venomous animals on the planet," said Liza.

"No! We can't kill her!" said Aiden, "she used to be an innocent girl."

"Before Columbina ruined her life," said Riku.

"Columbina didn't ruin my life, she unleashed me!" said Lady Darklight, "she made me the ultimate personification of darkness; A Princess of Dark! Now kindly undo these restraints!"

"Not till you tell us where the keycard is," said an annoyed Liza, "I'll do it, I'll go out and find a sea snake."

"No, that's actually a bad idea," said Joshua, "this part of the ocean's too cold for sea snakes."

"Then we'll figure some other way to make her talk," said Liza, "and…wait a second, she said we could tear Rapture apart and never find it, while it was in the one place a man would never look." She then walked up to Lady Darklight, knelt down and began frisking her.

"What the…get off of me!" snapped Lady Darklight as Liza searched her clothes, "get your hands off of me, you perverted child!" She then tried to bite Liza's arm, only to cry out in frustrated dismay as Liza found the keycard within the vile woman's bodice.

"How'd you…? Of course! She had it the whole time!" said Calvin.

"And now we have it," said Riku as Liza handed the keycard to him, "Columbina can't destroy Rapture."

"Is that a challenge?" Columbina asked as she appeared and with a wave of her hand, vanished the restraints on Lady Darklight's wrists and ankles.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" snapped Aiden.

"I'm with you on that," said an irate Lady Darklight. She then glared at Columbina, "how dare you stick your nose where it wasn't needed! I had everything under control!"

"You had everything under control!?" exclaimed Columbina, "they would have torn your to pieces, you ungrateful brat! Do not make me regret creating you! If I had the time, I'd render you down to the darkness from which you came and use you to crack the heart of another potential Princess!"

"As if you'd waste more time and resources on a child less qualified than I," said Lady Darklight.

"What are you talking about?" Aiden asked, "who are you? Who were you before you had your life ruined?"

"Someone with little value, except her pure heart which I cracked," said Columbina.

"Didn't anyone tell you that a person's value is more than the sum of their parts?" Riku asked irately.

"Your words mean nothing to me," said Columbina, "you may have the keycard, but I still have the final say in the game!" she glared at Lady Darklight, "we'll discuss your overconfidence and ungratefulness later, young lady!" With that she teleported out.

"Whatever," said Lady Darklight. She then looked at Riku and Aiden, "until next time, boys," she said with a cruel smile, before teleporting out.

"Well, that was weird," said Joshua.

"Weird and ambiguous," said Liza as she looked at the keycard, "we have this, but that evil woman, both of them…"

"We'll stop them, somehow," said Calvin.

Just then the whole area shook violently, then shook again.

"Seaquake!" exclaimed Joshua as he and the others held onto support beams and anything solid and firmly anchored to the floor.

"No, this is something different!" said Liza.

Just then Riku's phone rang, "Riku!" exclaimed Sidney, "you've got to get out of there! Half of Rapture is collapsing! Oh, Sora's group found Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters, while Tess's group stopped the dimensional doorway device."

"That's good to know," said Riku, "but how does it help us!?" he then looked up and saw that among the cracking metal and glass, a part of a support beam was falling right for his head.

* * *

…**Proving Grounds…a few minutes ago**

"OH SHIT!" exclaimed Travis as he grabbed at his shin, causing Chrissie and Tess to stop in their mad rush towards, according to Sidney's scans, where they believed the source of the subspace disturbances. They stopped and saw that Travis had been caught in a concealed booby-trap; a set of spring-loaded wooden boards loaded with dozens of metal spikes had clamped onto his leg from his ankle to his knee.

"Get it off me!" shouted Travis as he struggled to free his leg, "GET IT OFF ME!"

"Since when do Splicers use booby-traps?" Tess asked as she and Chrissie rushed back to Travis.

"They sometimes plant snares and tripwire bombs," said Chrissie as she and Tess carefully looked at the trap ensnaring Travis, "but this is a first for me."

"Just get it the fuck off already!" said Travis, "it hurts!"

"It's gonna hurt more when we pull it off," said Chrissie. She then looked at Tess, "on three."

"Right," said Tess as she and Chrissie firmly gripped the boards, "one…" at that both she and Chrissie pulled the boards and spikes free of Travis's leg, earning a gasp of agony.

"What happened to two?" he asked weakly before slumping to the floor, his leg drenched with blood oozing from over a dozen puncture wounds.

"Just hold on and don't move," said Chrissie as she used a first aid kit to clean and bind the wounds, then injected Travis with a syringe of antibiotics, then one full of morphine.

"Give him a tetanus shot while you're at it," said Tess.

"Already on it," said Chrissie as she injected Travis with a third syringe, "but his shinbone is broken in two places. I don't even want to ask him to try and walk on that leg."

"Well, we can't just leave him here," said Tess.

"We can't carry him either," said Chrissie, "we've got to shut down the dimensional device before it ruins the fabric of reality!"

"Just leave me!" said Travis as he propped himself into a sitting position along the wall, "I'll be fine, go smash the machine!"

"We can't leave you!" said Tess.

"Yes, you can," said Travis, "I can take care of myself," he then held up his shotgun and modified revolver, "a little something for any Splicers that come my way, and I've got plenty of EVE. I'll take some to help speed up my leg healing."

"You sure about this?" Chrissie asked.

"Go already!" insisted Travis, "go before something worse happens!"

"Alright, just stay alive till we come back," said Chrissie. She then looked at Tess, "let's go."

"Right," said Tess. With that she and Chrissie hurried on ahead, but once they were out of sight and earshot, Travis groaned with pain. He then reached into his pocket but found that it was torn, then looked behind and saw several broken syringes leaking blue fluid.

"That's all the special EVE I had left!" he snapped, his face grimacing with rage and agony. But then he noticed a nearby Circus of Value, one that was slightly damaged and had one blue syringe sticking out of the receiving slot.

Groaning and grunting with agony, Travis crawled over to the vending machine and grabbed one of the EVE syringes, "it's just one dose of the regular stuff," he said as he uncovered the needle, gripped it with his right hand and held out his left wrist, "one dose won't turn me into a Splicer, right?" he then injected himself with the blue chemical.

* * *

"Where to now, Sidney?" Tess asked into her phone as she and Chrissie stood on opposite sides of a corridor just outside a doorway that lead to a series of labs.

"Past the door and turn right,"" said Sidney, "then turn left at the intersection up ahead. You'll be at a reception area for several minor labs. On the right is an elevator. Take it three floors up, turn left and keep going till you reach a lab marked 'Advanced Quantum Physics.' Go through it till you reach a heavily shielded door marked 'Project Janus.' That's where the subspace disturbances are the strongest, so logically, that's where the dimensional doorway device should be. All in all, it should be a walk in the park."

"And how many Splicers are between us and the Project Janus lab?" Chrissie asked.

"A few dozen, all armed with pistols and machineguns," said Sidney.

"What park did you walk in?" Tess asked. She then looked at Chrissie, "you ready?"

"To slag some Splicers?" Chrissie asked as she cocked her machinegun, "always."

"Me too," said Tess as she cocked her shotgun. With that they passed through the doorway.

Almost immediately several Splicers jumped out of hiding. Tess blasted one on the right with her shotgun, while Chrissie mowed down two on the left with her machinegun. Tess then blasted another oncoming Splicer, then shot two that tried to sneak up on them from behind.

They approached the first corner with Chrissie in the lead. She checked behind some concealing trash, but caught a grazing bullet in her side from a Splicer that attacked from around the corner. She shot the maniac with her pistol, while Tess dodged a barrage of machinegun bullets from ahead around the corner. Chrissie shot two Splicers with her machinegun, while Tess blasted a third.

"Are you alright?" Tess asked as she saw Chrissie checking her wounded side, "how bad is it?"

"Just a scratch," said Chrissie as she wiped some blood from her side, then quickly put a bandage on the flesh wound. With that they approached the T intersection and had to dodge a hail of machinegun fire from the right. Tess shot the offending Splicer, then ducked more machinegun fire from the left.

Several Splicers armed with machineguns were in the reception area and all of them shot at Tess and Chrissie. They took cover and shot back, taking down the maniacs within seconds. Chrissie's machinegun clicked empty and she realized she was out of machinegun ammo. She saw a Splicer trying to sneak up on her and she shot it twice with her pistol.

She then saw the elevator and that the elevator door was opening. Instinctively, she aimed and shot three times the Splicer that emerged from the elevator. But as the dead body slumped to the floor, Chrissie saw to her horror that she had made a terrible mistake.

Tess saw the dead body and Chrissie's stunned and dismayed expression and realized what had happened, yet she kept her cool and moved towards the open elevator, "Get in!" she shouted as she shoved Chrissie into the cab. She pressed the button for the desired floor and sighed with relief as the doors closed and the cab began moving up.

"I just killed a man," said Chrissie in a distant tone, her hands working on reflex as she reloaded her modified revolver.

"No, you didn't," said Tess as she slid more shells into her shotgun.

"He was human!" Chrissie insisted, "I'm telling you, he didn't have any mutation welts!"

"Must have been a trick of the light," said Tess, "trust me; that was just another Splicer."

"He wasn't a Splicer!" exclaimed Chrissie, "I saw his eyes! He was human!"

"You were seeing things!" snapped Tess, "a trick of the light! How many times do I have to say it!" she then grabbed Chrissie by the shoulder and pulled her close, "I know you're shook up by everything that's happened, but that's still no reason for you to fall apart! Your friends and Dr. Tenenbaum are counting on you to save their lives! What do you think they'll think of you when they learn that they're going to die because you started doubting yourself!?"

"I…" started Chrissie.

Tess interrupted her by pulling out her own modified revolver and handing it to Chrissie, "here, take this!"

That seemed to snap Chrissie out of her funk. She gripped both pistols, a serious look on her face as she and Tess moved out of sight of the elevator doors. A fury of bullets poured through the doors as they opened. Tess and Chrissie shot the offending Splicers, then proceeded out of the elevator cab and turned left down the corridor.

Tess shot two Splicers, Chrissie shot two more, then Tess shot two more as they carefully advanced down the corridor towards the Advanced Quantum Physics lab, shooting several more Splicers along the way.

"You know, I killed a few innocent people," said Tess as the kept edgingdown the corridor, "back on Metamore."

"Sora and the others told me that you were a vigilante," said Chrissie, "that you were fighting against a tyrant and his thugs."

"I was kinda crazy back then," said Tess, "and didn't think much about the soldiers and minions I was killing. I never told Riku and the others this, but after Phobos was brought down, I started regretting my actions. Not all of the soldiers were really evil, they were just following orders."

"You were doing what you thought was right," said Chrissie.

"That's what I keep telling myself," said Tess, "but I still feel bad about it."

"How bad?" Chrissie asked.

"A lot worse than you did just now," said Tess.

"Yeah," said Chrissie as they saw the door for the Advanced Quantum Physics lab, "hey, was that Splicer really a Splicer."

"No, he was human," said Tess.

"Oh, fuck me!" exclaimed Chrissie as they rushed through the lab doorway, shooting three or four Splicers before they could react. Just then a large Splicer carrying a .50 machinegun burst in through one of the smaller labs and began shooting at Tess and Chrissie, forcing them to duck.

More Splicers ran into the lab and began shooting at them. Tess shot two, while Chrissie rolled out of the way of one Splicer's line of fire and shot it point blank range with both pistols.

The enormous splicer with the large machinegun aimed and fired at Chrissie, forcing her to dive out of the way. Tess fired at the oversized Splicer, just as a Nitro Splicer rushed in and threw a grenade at her. Tess ducked the explosion and shot the Nitro Splicer, rushing to Chrssie's side as they ducked more bullets from the .50 machinegun.

The oversized Splicer paused to reload his weapon, allowing Chrissie to knock the machinegun out of its hand with Telekinesis, while Tess rushed in to shoot the creature, yet her shotgun clicked empty.

The oversized Splicer roared with fury and rushed at Tess but she turned invisible and the creature stumbled in confusion.

Chrissie then created an illusionary target for the oversized Splicer's rage. It rushed at the summoned 'dummy,' just as Tess reappeared with her shotgun, now loaded with a few shells of high explosive shot. She aimed and fired at the creature, dealing massive amounts of damage, while Chrissie loaded one of her pistols with anti-personal rounds, which she aimed and fired at the creature's head, delivering a fatal blow that sent the creature crashing to the floor, dead as a doornail.

"Well, that was…something," said Chrissie as she and Tess looked around and saw no more enemies in the area.

"In a nutshell," said Tess. They then saw a large set of metal doors marked Project Janus.

"This is it," said Tess as she and Chrissie approached the door, with Tess picking up another pistol and Chrissie another machinegun. They opened the doors, which were strangely unlocked, and entered the lab.

Inside was a massive device covered in blinking lights and analogue switches and dials, while several feet above it lay another machine that had three metal rings spinning around each other. The whole machine thrummed with energy, while the rings pulsed with blue light.

"That's the dimensional doorway device?" Chrissie asked.

"You see any other machines in here?" Tess asked as they approached the device, "so, how do we turn it off?"

"Maybe by pressing the 'OFF' switch?" Chrissie asked sarcastically as she saw a large switch on the control panel marked OFF. But the control board was marred by scorch marks and broken switches, while a large burn mark covered the OFF switch.

"I'll betcha there was a power surge and the whole thing went haywire," said Chrissie, "but how do we turn it off?"

"Like this!" said Tess as she dropped her shotgun and summoned her Keyblade.

"Wait! Don't!" shouted Chrissie as Tess walked up to and smashed the control panel with her Keyblade with several swings, then swung at the rest of the device, delivering massive amounts of damage and producing showers of sparks. With one last swing and impact, the machine lost power; the lights went dark, the rings stopped turning and all sounds and energy ceased.

"Well…that worked," said a slightly exasperated Chrissie.

"Took a page from Roxas's book," said Tess as she smiled with satisfaction.

Before Chrissie could ask about Roxas, Tess's phone rang.

"Fantastic job, Tess!" said Sidney on the other end of the call, "the subspace disturbances are clearing up. I should be able to use the transporter in…oh crap! Hold onto something!"

At that the area shook violently, then shook even more.

"What's happening?!" exclaimed Tess as she and Chrissie grabbed onto support beams.

"Seaquake!" said Chrissie.

"No, it's not a seaquake!" said Sidney, "several sections of Rapture are collapsing!"

As if to prove her point, Tess and Chrissie saw the metal support beams and even the walls beginning to crack.

* * *

…**Rapture Welcome Center…**

"Well, I must say, you've outdone yourself this time, Insano," said Young Xehanort as he and the other villains watched the mad scientist manipulate a large device that was generating sonic vibrations throughout Rapture, "wait until the brats are separated, then bring down those sections of the city. Brilliant, truly brilliant."

"And it's all thanks to Regina for loaning me a magic mirror so I could locate them," said Insano as he indicated a large hand mirror that was split into three views, one showing Sora's group, the second Riku's group, the third Tess and Chrissie, all of them panicking as their respective areas collapsed around them.

"I won't be satisfied until they're buried at sea," said Regina.

"Just wait a few seconds," said Dio Brando, "they won't last much longer."

Just then the mirror showed all three groups vanishing via transporter beams, just as Point Prometheus, Apollo Square and Proving Grounds, imploded, causing the images to go black.

"What happened?" Lady Tremaine asked, "were they crushed or not?"

"No," said a smiling Regina, "their luck still holds." She then looked at Insano, "you're not at fault, good doctor, your device works."

"Those damn brats!" snapped Columbina as she and Lady Darklight walked into the area, "why won't they die!?"

"Perhaps what they need is some special incentive to die," said Lady Darklight, "trap them with bait that they cannot refuse."

"And you know of such bait?" Young Xehanort asked.

"Indeed I do," said a wickedly smiling Lady Darklight as she indicated Kairi, whom was bound and gagged with energy ropes and hovering behind Columbina, helpless but conscious, aware of everything, her eyes alternating between glares of defiance and tears of frustrated worry for Sora and the others.

* * *

…_**The Intrepid Heart…**_

"Thank you, Sidney!" exclaimed a joyful and emotionally exhausted Aiden, "thank you, so much!"

"I'm amazed you could transport us all at once," said Riku as he, Sora, Tess, Aiden, Malcolm, Chrissie and her group, Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters, rested in the ship's common area.

"It was easy once the subspace disturbances started to clear," said Sidney, "but it was a close call. Another microsecond and you all might not be here."

"What did happen in the city?" Aiden asked, "how did those parts of Rapture collapse?"

"A very interesting phenomenon," said Sidney, "I detected an intense, artificial sonic vibration directed at Point Prometheus, Apollo Square and the Proving Grounds, originated at the Welcome Center. Oh, and I've located Kairi."

"What!?" exclaimed Sora.

"Where is she?" Riku asked.

"In the Welcome Center," said Sidney, "as is Columbina and Lady Darklight, as well as Regina, Young Xehanort and the rest of their dark cadre."

"So they really are involved with Columbina," said Tess.

"Guess we can officially throw Regina's truce out the window," said Aiden, "so when do we go rescue her, again?"

"Right now," said Chrissie, "we go now and end this!"

"Damn right we do!" said an eager Travis as he loaded his weapons.

"You okay?" Tess asked, "you were barely able to sit up last time we saw you."

"I'm perfectly fine," said Travis.

"You sure?" Chrissie asked cautiously and suspiciously.

"One dose of the special EVE and I'm fit as a fiddle," said Travis, "and I'm ready to smash some bad guys and get the fuck out of Rapture once and for all!"

"Then let's end it," said Sora, "now before anyone else gets hurt."

"You stay here with the Little Sisters, Dr. Tenenbaum," said Rachael as she and the others readied their weapons, "we won't be long."

"Be careful, all of you," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "and whatever happens, don't underestimate the enemy, for I fear this is a trap."

"Of course it's a trap," said Tess, "so now we spring it on our enemies."

"Come back with Kairi and come back safe," said Sidney as our heroes and allies headed for the transporter, "and give that bitch Columbina a kick in the teeth."

"Will do," said Sora as he and the others got onto the transporter pad and were beamed back into Rapture.

**The end of Chapter 9.**

_Next time finds our heroes and allies confronting Columbina, Lady Darklight and the other villains in a showdown that will, finally, reveal the truth of the masked woman. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	11. Chapter 10: Columbina Unbound

_Last time found our heroes and allies once again battling through Rapture, only this time to rescue Kairi, Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters, while also saving Rapture from two forms of destruction. Yet while all other goals were accomplished, Kairi still lay in the hands of Columbina. The final showdown is at hand. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Chapter 10: Columbina Unbound**

…**Rapture Welcome Center…**

"So this is where you would first enter Rapture from the lighthouse," said Riku as he and the others made their way through the area where new arrivals to the city got their first true impression of a realized utopia. Sadly, like the rest of Rapture, the Welcome Center had fallen into disuse and decay, as well as signs of vicious fighting and death.

"This was one of the places where the initial fighting of the civil war broke out," said Chrissie, "December 31, 1958. There was a huge party going on here, at the Kashmir Restaurant and the Footlight Theater. This was a good place, one of the best in Rapture. Even when the rest of the city was being dragged down, this part stayed good."

"And now it's being used for evil," said Malcolm.

"And where our friend is being held captive," said an irate Tess.

"But where is she?" Sora asked, "where's Kairi?"

"Right here, Sora!" shouted Columbina as she released a cloaking spell that concealed herself, Lady Darklight, Regina and the other villains, with Insano standing next to his sonic device, while Kairi was bound and gagged next to the machine.

"Let her go!" shouted Sora as he tried to rush at the assembled villains, yet Riku and Chrissie held him back, "let her go, or I'll…"

"You'll what, spit on me?" Columbina asked daringly as Lady Darklight walked over to the restrained Kairi, "all I have to do is say the word and my dear friend here," at that Lady Darklight gripped Kairi by her head and twisted it to the left to the point where any more force would snap her neck.

"Do it!" said Lady Tremaine eagerly, "snuff out her light once and for all!"

"No! Not yet!" said Young Xehanort, "I just had a flash of inspiration." He then walked up to Sora, "I assume you know who I am, right?"

"You're Xehanort's other self," said Sora, "you're Terra."

"I have his body," said Young Xehanort, "but the mind and heart in control is the same as the one you faced before. I also assume you know what I want, right?"

"The X-Blade," said Sora, "you need it to open the way to Kingdom Hearts."

"You misunderstand," said Young Xehanort, "I do not wish some fabricated Kingdom Hearts, not like that which my Heartless and Nobody sought. No, I seek the true Kingdom Hearts, a unification of all hearts and worlds, upon which I shall reign supreme!"

"You're still obsessed with that nonsense," said Columbina in a disapproving manner, "how futile your efforts are. Kingdom Hearts is way beyond you!"

"And just what are your ambitions?" Riku asked, "what do you wish to accomplish?"

"You've got what you wanted," said an irate Aiden, "you ruined an innocent girl's life and turned her into a monster, but to what end?"

"The conquest of the Realms of Light, of course," said Columbina, "and all other realms beyond that, especially my native realm."

"Oh, you wish to conquer a specific world?" Regina asked in an intrigued tone, "perhaps a world or a race upon which you hold a grudge?"

"My grudges are my own, thank you very much," said Columbina, "they are of no concern to you or anyone else!"

"They are to me!" said Lady Darklight, "you created me, you can at least give some details as to my back-story."

"You wish to know?" Columbina asked, "I might as well explain," she glared at Sora, "you are your companions are about to die anyway. I come from not just another reality, but another timeline altogether. For me, it started in the summer of 1999, when I was reunited with my identical twin sister. We were intentionally separated at birth by the society upon which we come from, a society that I shall trample underfoot in due time."

"You have a twin sister?" Kairi asked after she spat the gag off her mouth, "and you were forcibly separated at birth? That's so wrong!"

"I don't have to be reminded of that!" snapped Columbina, "I still carry the trauma on my heart that I received when I learned the truth, not only about being adopted and having a twin, but about my heritage."

"You've lost me," said Regina, "just who or what are you?"

"I am but one of many magic users whom rule over an entire realm of magic," said Columbina, "a realm devoted to a hedonistic and often illogical lifestyle. Some of us live on a parallel Earth and blend in with the oblivious human population, sometimes manipulating them for our own amusement. The rest stay in our own universe, idling their lives away in the pursuit of one pleasure after another.

"I digress. I was finally reunited with my sister at a family gathering, and for a time, I was more happy than I could ever remember being."

"How old were you?" Sora asked.

"Almost eighteen," said Columbina, "yet in the eyes of my people, I was an adult and in full control of all my powers. Of course there would be responsibilities I would have to live up to, even among a society of hedonistic idiots, but that was for the future. All I cared about was being with my sister."

She then sat down on a crate and sighed with anger and frustration, "and then the family elders had to ruin everything with one of our society's illogical and irresponsible rules. Only one of us could live freely in both the human and magical world, while the other would be forever banished to our native, magical realm, never to see the other again.

"On the outside I was as frightened as my sister, but on the inside I was outraged beyond belief. How dare those pleasure-seeking idiots take my sister away from me, let alone sentence one of us to a life we didn't want."

"Didn't you protest?" Aiden asked, "or at least try to fight it somehow?"

"There wasn't anything we could do but play along with their moronic ritual," said Columbina, "a ritual that would determine which of us would stay and which would be banished. If my sister and I tried to fight, we'd be overpowered. If we tried to run, we'd be captured and forced with a figurative gun at our heads to complete the ritual. One thing led to another and I was banished. I was locked away in the magic realm, while my sister, my oh-so perfect and good sister, she was given total freedom to live in both realms and beyond."

"I don't understand," said Kairi, "why were you chosen to be banished?"

"I failed a critical test," said Columbina, "my sister and I, while physically identical down to the minutest detail, we were vastly different in mind and heart. You see, my sister used her magic to occasionally cause mischief, and believe me, her magic caused more than a fare share of trouble for her and those around her, whether she wanted it to or not. I on the other hand always used my magic for the benefit of others, helping the helpless and needy whenever I could, while volunteering for human causes and activities, all for the happiness of others."

"You've sanctioned yourself to be a victim," said Joshua, "placing yourself at the complete beck and call of moochers and looters, to be exploited until you've given everything, even your life!"

"I _chose _to be altruistic with my powers and human skills," said Columbina, "I had to in order to stay safe. For you see, while my sister always had good intentions at the heart of her misadventures, I was truly a monster. All my life I had been plagued by thoughts of inflicting pain and misery on others, especially those I considered inferior, to those whom slighted me, to even my adopted family."

"A woman after my own heart," said Lady Tremaine.

"But I knew the consequences of acting on my desires," said Columbina, "I knew that sociopaths and psychopaths like myself would end up caught by the police, or worse, shot dead in a confrontation with the law. So I dedicated myself to selfless causes, while venting my inner darkness onto paper. I wrote out countless violent and destructive fantasies in my diaries and made absolutely sure that those diaries were never discovered. It's amazing how handy an unused wine cellar can be, then later a subspace pocket for storing items.

"But then my inner darkness was discovered during the ritual. I was banished to the magical realm and my sister walked free. At that moment, any love and compassion I felt for my sister turned to stone, while my hatred for our family and society ignited. Vengeance would one day be mine, I vowed. My people would regret their actions, while my sister would scream for mercy as I tortured her to death!"

"But she's your sister!" said Liza, "and you only just got back with her after being separated at birth! How can you hate her so much?!"

"I hate her because she was chosen over me!" snapped Columbina, "If I could, I'd go back in time and strangle her in her cradle after we were separated! Alas, those years and the years after my banishment are time-locked and cannot be changed. But the past is the past and I sought a darker future.

"Moving on, I spent years planning my revenge and finally carried it out in 2014. My sister was by then happily married with her high school sweetheart, had two perfect children, had the perfect house and perfect job, everything was perfect for her.

"I planned to take it all away by first laying waste to her hometown, by murdering her husband and children, then the rest of her family, one member by one. I also planned on brining the magical realm to its knees, but alas, best laid plans of witches and warlocks.

"My activities were discovered and I was forced into acting sooner than planned. There was a brief but intense conflict upon which I unleashed my greatest weapon on my people; The Heartless. They were all but defenseless against creatures of pure darkness and I nearly had my people subdued. All that was needed was to locate my realm's Keyhole, then the Keyhole of the human world; then all would be mine.

"But my sister and a close cadre of friends were ready for me and struck first. Taken by surprise and my control over The Heartless lost. I was soon subdued, my powers suppressed, put on trial, convicted and sentenced to eternal imprisonment inside the core of a star."

"That should have killed you for sure!" exclaimed Sora.

"My people are magic users with godlike abilities," said Columbina, "if they wanted me to survive inside the core of a star for eternity, they would have made it so. Fortunately for yours truly, I had a few contingency plans in place. I escaped my captors and fled in time and space, arriving in an alternate dimension. All I had was the clothes on my back, the natural near-immortality of my people, my wits and the dark inferno in my heart. It took me decades to restore my powers and plan my revenge, and here I am, on the cusp of taking back all that was stolen from me! Any questions?"

"Just one," said Riku.

"_Just _one?" an exasperated Tess asked.

"I have a few questions," said a slightly annoyed Regina, "why has it taken you this long to get this far?"

"The simple fact that the potential Princesses of Heart had yet been born," said Columbina, "I knew that a time of crisis would come to the Realms of Light and seven specific girls with pure hearts would be needed to prevent a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions."

She then looked at Sora, "that crisis is a forthcoming invasion of the Realms of Light by the Raztonians. Very soon, they shall be ready to break free of their exile and set about devouring the Realms of Light, one world at a time. I intend to beat them to the punch."

"So that's why you got that Raztonian sorceress involved," said Regina, "and paid her with an entire world for her race to devour."

"A world that'll provide enough resistance to keep the Raztonians occupied," said Columbina, "long enough for me to take the Realms of Light for myself, or rather, twelve worlds consumed by darkness."

"Well, you're too late on that part!" said Sora, "I sealed all the Keyholes in the Realms of Light."

"Uh…not all of them, Sora, remember?" Kairi asked, "there's a few still out there."

"Oh yeah," said Sora.

"Those worlds are safe, for the moment," said Columbina, "what I seek is to smash open twelve sealed Keyholes, thereby drowning those twelve worlds in darkness, upon which I shall harness that darkness and use to it destroy the rest of The Realms of Light, then invade my native realm, drowning both human and magical realms in darkness, and my oh so perfect sister will be there to see the ruin of all that she loves!"

"What about the Sampo?" Dio Brando asked, "What's the deal with that?"

"She needs it to harness the upcoming darkness," said The Lord of Illusions as he appeared next to Dio Brando, startling the vile Stand User, "same goes for Sombra's horn," he then held up the red horn of the fallen tyrant, "as for the missing powers," he then held up the one that was found in Rapture.

"You give that back!" snapped Aiden, "that belongs to either Belle, Jasmine or Cinderella!"

"Not anymore, it does," said The Lord of Illusions as he pocketed the sphere of light, "and as we speak, my doppelgangers are out searching for the remaining two."

"We'll find them first!" said Riku,

"You'll be dead, so it won't matter," said Columbina, "any more questions before you die?"

"Why?" Sora asked, "Why do you hate us so bad? What did we ever do to you?"

"Oh, that," said Columbina, "I almost forgot. You see, Sora, not only was my sister responsible for my failed _coup d'état_, you were there as well, or rather, an alternate, older version of you and your fellow Keyblade Wielders."

"So, these other versions of us, they helped your sister in stopping you," said Kairi, "now it makes sense."

"And there's nothing you or anyone can do to stop me," said Columbina, "especially that meddling bitch, Alegra. I have her chasing after so many red herrings and false leads, by the time she realizes she's been duped, it'll be too late."

"We can still stop you!" said Sora.

"You can try," said Columbina, "but you'll have to face one more challenge before facing me."

Just then came the sound of something large, heavy and angry, could be heard. Sora and the others turned around and saw a grotesque abomination lumbering towards them. It was as if a human had been stretched to the size of an elephant and filled with pulsating muscles, its forearms and legs were covered in spikes and claws, while its head sat atop an elongated neck that swayed back and forth like a snake.

"What the hell is that thing?!" exclaimed Chrissie.

"Like it?" Insano asked as he tapped his fingertips together with anticipation, "not my best work, but I made do with what was available, and the subject was no prime specimen to begin with."

"What specimen? Wait, that's not…" said an appalled Aiden, "that can't be…"

"Fontaine?" Rachael asked, "What did you do to him?"

"I gave him what he wanted," said Insano, "what his Foundation X friends offered and so cruelly denied, power. Of course, he didn't take his new transformation well, so I had to subdue him with my nuralizer," he then held up his small yet powerful mind control device, "so you see, you're all going to die and there's nothing you can do about it!" he then laughed like the maniac he was.

"You know," said an irate Travis as he cracked his knuckles, "when someone says 'and there's nothing you can do about it,' they're usually wrong."

"But there is nothing you can do!" said Columbina, "between myself, Lady Darklight, Regina and her ilk, plus that abomination over there," she pointed at the mutated Fontaine, "you're finished!"

"No, we're not," said Travis. He then summoned a sphere of red fluid and threw it at Fontaine, breaking on his face and covering it with the red fluid. Almost immediately Fontaine bellowed with fury and rushed at Gaston, grabbing the augmented villain and tearing him in half before anyone could react. Fontaine then grabbed Dio Brando and threw him against the wall.

"What the bloody hell, Insano!" exclaimed Young Xehanort as the rampaging Fontaine rushed at him. The dark master summoned a barrier that deflected Fontaine's grasping hands, "I thought you had the creature under control!"

"I did!" exclaimed Insano as he looked at his nuralizer, "that brat screwed with Fontaine's brain!"

"Plasmids," said a grinning Travis, "gotta love them!"

Tess, Riku, Aiden, Chrissie, Joshua and Calvin all fired their weapons at the other villains, forcing them back, allowing Sora room to rush in and free Kairi, while Malcolm, Rachael and Liza ran at the sonic generator.

"We've got to deactivate it before it brings the area down on us!" said Malcolm.

"But how?" asked Liza.

"Just smash it!" said Rachael as she readied her wrenches, "like this!" she then hit the sonic generator, breaking several controls, but accidentally activating it in the process. The device began emitting an intense humming.

"Uh…that's not a good sound," said Rachael.

"No shit, Sherlock!" snapped Insano as he looked at the device, "it's completely frazzled beyond my control!"

"What does that mean?!" Liza asked, just as the area began to violently shake.

"It means that whatever's left of Rapture is going down for the last time!" said Chrissie, "we've got to get out of here! Now!"

"Sidney! We've got Kairi!" shouted Sora into his phone, "beam us back to the ship!"

"Hang on, I'm having trouble locking in on your life signs!" said Sidney.

"You're not going anywhere!" shouted Columbina, only for her to dodge falling pieces of metal, then was pulled out of the way of more falling debris by The Lord of Illusions

"I'd say now would be a good time for a tactical withdraw," said the trickster.

"Truer words had never been spoken," said Regina after casting a restraining spell on the mutated Fontaine, then summoned a Dark Corridor, through which Lady Tremaine, Insano, Sephiroth and Young Xehanort fled through, "until next time, Sora, and I must say that after this little adventure of ours, I was not disappointed!" with that she ran into the Dark Corridor.

"Wait for me, damn it!" snapped Dio Brando as he limped into the Dark Corridor, which closed up after him.

"You win this time, Sora!" said an irate Columbina, "but I will have my revenge! You will suffer for what was done to me, you and all that you care for will be destroyed!" with that she, The Lord of Illusions and Lady Darklight, vanished.

"Come on, Sidney!" shouted Sora into his phone as more and more of the area crumbled, while support columns and glass windows began to crack. A large crack in one window began spraying water, followed by another crack and another.

Just then Fontaine broke free of the restraining spell and lumbered towards our heroes with murder in his mutated eyes.

"Oh, man, this sucks!" said Malcolm as our heroes prepared to fight the mutated abomination.

But then, just as Fontaine was about to reach them and attack, all twelve of our heroes and allies vanished via transporter beams, leaving a confused Fontaine to stand in the middle of the crumbling Welcome Center. He then roared with frustrated fury as the remaining windows shattered and a deluge of water poured in, while the remaining support beams broke and the whole area collapsed.

* * *

…**The Intrepid Heart…**

"Once again, your timing was perfect, Sidney," said a breathless Riku as our heroes and allies stood on the bridge of the ship, watching on the view screen the final collapse of Rapture.

"Sorry it took so long, everyone," said Sidney, "that sonic generator was deflecting my scans and I had to recalculate a few times.

"You got us out safe and sound," said Sora, "that's all that matters."

"There it goes," said Calvin as the last, failing buildings of Rapture were crushed by the intense underwater pressure. Countless air bubbles rose from the wreckage, which was soon obscured by a rising cloud of silt from the ocean floor, erasing all trace of the failed utopia.

"It's over," sighed Dr. Tenenbaum as she too watched, "it's finally over."

"It was a good idea, Dr. Tenenbaum, wasn't it?" Liza asked, "Rapture?"

"Of course it was a good idea," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "just as Andrew Ryan was a good man. Alas, too many things went wrong. And now it's over, all of the achievements of Rapture, the good and the bad, all of it is gone."

"Not all," said Rachael, "we're still here, and so are the Little Sisters we saved."

"A few normal humans were still in there," said Joshua, "we could have saved them. We could have stayed a little longer and got them out."

"Another second in that city and we would be so much drowned bits of meat and diluted blood," said Chrissie, "we saved what we could save," she then sighed and reached into her pockets, pulling out two syringes of the special EVE, "but what are we going to do when this runs out?"

"I'm down to one needle," said Calvin.

"Two here," said Rachael.

"I used my last one before we beamed into the Welcome Center," said Joshua.

"Me too," said Liza, while Travis glumly checked his pockets.

"And with no more ADAM slugs, no more ADAM at all," said Dr. Tenenbaum.

"Let me have one of those," said Sidney. Reluctantly, Chrissie handed one of her precious syringes to Sidney.

"Yes," said Sidney as she looked at the fluid in the needle, coinciding with her internal scanners at work, "yes, I do believe an alternate can be found."

"Impossible," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "it took me years to develop the formulae for the special EVE, and with no more ADAM, I cannot create more."

"Not with the technology of this world, that is," said Sidney.

"Can you synthesize the special EVE, Sidney?" Sora asked.

"Not me," said Sidney, "I may be a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious A.I. program, but even I have limits. On the other hand, Ansem, Tron and the Moogles might just be able to do what I cannot, if we get a sample of the Special EVE to Ansem's lab on Radiant Garden, that is."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Chrissie asked, "let's go to Radiant Garden, and after that, let's go after that psycho fuck, Columbina."

"Are you serious?" Calvin asked, "after everything that happened, after we nearly got killed I don't even know how many times in the past day or so? You still want to go with Sora and the others?"

"Absolutely," said Chrissie.

"Good, just checking," said Calvin.

"We're going with you too, Sora," said Rachael, while Liza, Joshua and Travis, nodded in agreement.

"What about you, Dr. Tenenbaum?" Kairi asked, "you and the Little Sisters are more than welcome to come too."

"As much as I appreciate the invitation," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "I must decline. My place is here, on this world. A lot has changed on the surface during my years in Rapture, but there is still work to be done. Besides, someone needs to look after the little ones, to help them find homes where they will be loved and treasured like the precious souls they are."

"In that case, this is goodbye," said Sora as he and Dr. Tenenbaum shook hands.

"Goodbye, Dr. T," said Chrissie as she shook Dr. Tenenbaum's hand, "and thank you, for everything."

"You and the others take care," said Dr. Tenenbaum, "and never forget where you came from."

"As if we could," said Liza.

* * *

A short time later found _The Intrepid Heart _back in orbit above the North Atlantic. Sora and the others stood on the bridge, watching on the view screen as a life raft, containing Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters, being approached by a cargo ship.

"They'll be alright," said Kairi as they watched the raft coming alongside the cargo ship and the survivors climbing a rope ladder to the deck of the rescue vessel.

"I know they'll be alright," said Chrissie, "I'm just wondering what kind of story Dr. Tenenbaum will have to tell the authorities to explain how she and the girls wound up in the middle of the ocean."

"At least there's nothing left of Rapture to incriminate them," said Travis as he scratched an itch on his arm, then one on his face.

"You okay?" Tess asked.

"I'm…" said a slightly uncomfortable Travis, "are you sure it's safe way up here in space?"

"We're perfectly safe behind the shields," said Sidney, "the solar flares are subsiding and cosmic radiation is at optimum levels for space travel. So, my carbon-based companions, where to next?"

"Back to Radiant Garden," said Sora with confident determination, "then we go after Columbina, before she and Lady Darklight start smashing Keyholes."

"And we have to stop The Lord of Illusions before he finds anymore of the missing powers," said Aiden.

"So long as I make him give back the one he took," said Tess.

"Say that to my face, why don't you!" snapped The Lord of Illusions as he, Columbina and Lady Darklight appeared on the bridge of _The Intrepid Heart_.

"How did you get here?!" exclaimed a socked Sidney, "how'd you get past my shields!?"

"As if a mere computer program can stop my creation's dark power," said Columbina, "Lady Darklight, do that voodoo that you do so well!"

"With pleasure!" said Lady Darklight as she waved her hands in a wide arc.

Just then the lights onboard the ship began flickering, while control panels and circuits began shorting out.

"NO! Stop it!" shouted Sora as he and the others saw Sidney's holographic image flicker and distort, "you're hurting her!"

"Her pain is but a fraction to what you'll feel!" said Columbina.

"Sora!" cried Sidney as her image began to fade, "Sora! Tell…Ansem…tell…Tron…tell them I…" with that she was gone.

"And that's just the beginning!" snapped Lady Darklight as she waved her hands again.

_The Intrepid Heart _vanished around our heroes and allies, leaving them suspended in the middle of a violently turbulence of pale green gas that sent then careening out of control. Sora, Riku, Aiden, Tess and Malcolm flew off screaming in terror in one direction and were sucked into a vortex that lead to who knows where, while Chrissie and her friends were sucked into a similar maelstrom.

Kairi, meanwhile, was restrained by The Lord of Illusions, whom along with Columbina and Lady Darklight, were unaffected by the swirling chaos around them.

"What…what did you to them!?" exclaimed Kairi, "what is this place? Where did the go?"

"Gave them their just deserts is what I did," said Lady Darklight, "while this place…" she looked at Columbina, "what is this place anyway?"

"A world between worlds," said Columbina, "similar to the Mobius Continuum, but with much more matter."

"It's an improvement to that endless blackness," said The Lord of Illusions, "I think I'll cast you adrift in it, Kairi. Who knows? Perhaps you'll fall into one of those whirlpools and end up on a random world that's relatively okay."

"Is that what happened to Sora and the others?" Kairi asked, "they're lost on random worlds?"

"They won't be lost for long," said Columbina. She then laughed with surprise, "oh, it seems one of my contacts found your friends from Rapture already. He has them safe and secure for the moment. Now that I think about it, I think I'll send you to that world where you can share the fate of them. But rest assure; Sora and the others will be found, and believe me, they'll wish they had died in Rapture."

"You crazy bitch!" snapped Kairi as she struggled against the grip of The Lord of Illusions, "I will kill you for this! You and your vile Princess of Dark!" she then glared at the trickster, "and don't think I've forgotten about you, Leslie!"

"I hope I haven't been forgotten," said The Lord of Illusions, "I work so hard on making lasting impressions."

"Poor, pathetic Kairi," said Columbina, "defiant till the end. Yet by now you must realize that all your efforts are in vain. Soon, Lady Darklight shall begin her assault on your precious Realms of Light, smashing open the Keyholes one by one until I have the twelve worlds drowned in darkness that I need."

"I just have to decide which one to start with," said Lady Darklight, "Agrabah or Wonderland? Olympus Coliseum or Atlantica?" she smiled with vicious glee, "or maybe Disney Castle? No, that world's still shielded by The Cornerstone of Light. I won't crack that nut until I've tested my powers a bit. One thing's for sure, I'll save Radiant Garden for the last. Yes, Radiant Garden will make a fitting crown jewel to my Twelve Drowned Worlds of Darkness."

"I will kill you!" said Kairi in a growling manner, "I _will _kill you!"

"Just like you killed my father and Kate?" Lady Darklight asked.

"What?" a shocked Kairi asked, "what did you say?"

"I apologize for not giving any clues to my former identity," said Lady Darklight, "the look on Sora's face and the others would have been priceless, but I'll settle for you. Look into my eyes, Kairi, see the girl whose father you abandoned to commit suicide alone. See the girl whom you dragged through hell on Banoi. See the girl whose sister you abandoned to be murdered. See the Princess of Darkness who was Bethany Greenhill!"

"No," said Kairi as she shook her head with desperate despair, "that's not true! It's impossible!"

"Search your feelings!" said Lady Darklight, "you'll know it to be true!"

"NOOOOOO!" wailed Kairi as she fell to her knees, yet The Lord of Illusions kept her from falling away into the swirling chaos.

"Yes," sighed Columbina with exaltation, her eyes closed with satisfied contentment, "ambrosia for my ears! If only you weren't a fully awakened Princess of Heart, your heart would have cracked by now and I'd have two Princesses of Dark."

"Darkness forbid," said Lady Darklight, "I prefer being one of a kind."

"Yeah, two of you would be too much for my taste," said the Lord of Illusions as he held onto a sobbing Kairi, "so, what are we gonna do with this one?"

"Send her to the world where her friends from Rapture have arrived on," said Columbina, "my contact there is involved in a rather special project, one that'll make Kairi's last days quite agonizing."

"You should kill me now," moaned Kairi, "just get it over with."

"And deny you the chance to suffer more?" Columbina asked, "and the remote chance to find your beloved Sora, no matter how remote a chance that is? I think not. To see you try and fail would be that much more rewarding. You think you've suffered in all your trials and tribulations? You don't know what pain is."

At that Columbina hit Kairi with a stunning spell that knocked her unconscious, but not before Kairi heard Columbina's facing voice speak, "but you will, Kairi, you will."

**The End of Chapter 10.**

_It's not over yet, fellow readers and writers, so stay tuned!_


	12. Epilog: Shadows Fall on the Realms of Li

_Last time found Sora and the others confronting Columbina, whom finally revealed part of her background. One thing lead to another, resulting in the destruction of Rapture and the rescue of Kairi and the other sane survivors. Yet this victory was quickly turned around as Columbina and Darklight overpowered our heroes, scattering them across time and space, while Kairi was held back in order to receive an even worse fate, but not before leaning Darklight's true identity as Bethany Greenhill. Devistated, Kairi was helpless as Columbina condemned her to a fate worse than death. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

**Epilog: Shadows Fall on the Realms of Light**

…**Radiant Garden…24 hours later…**

"Still no word from _The Intrepid Heart_?" Queen Minnie asked as she walked up to King Mickey. Both monarch mice were sitting in one of the recently repaired lounges in the castle, with the King anxiously pacing back and forth, while Pluto sat nearby, gnawing on a large bone.

"No a peep since they left Metamore for the next missing power," said The King, "they should have at least checked in by now."

"They're probably wrapping up their latest adventure as we speak," said Queen Minnie as she smiled hopefully, "we should be hearing that they've got the third missing power any minute now. You know Sora and the others, they're fine, they're always fine."

"I hope so," said King Mickey, "gosh, I hope so."

Just then Yuffie ran into the room, "your majesties! You really need to see this!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Queen Minnie asked in a worried tone.

"Is it Sora and the others?" King Mickey asked as he stopped his pacing, "are they in trouble?" at that Pluto picked his ear up at the mention of the words 'Sora,' and 'trouble.'

"Oh, if only it were them that's in trouble," said Yuffie in an exasperated tone, "but not this. We're in trouble, and by that, I mean the whole Realms of Light."

"What does that mean?" Queen Minnie asked.

"Just get down to Ansem's lab," said Yuffie, "you have to see it to believe it."

A short time later found both The King and Queen with Yuffie in Ansem's Study. Also there was the wise one himself, along with Quistis, Leon, Nikolai and Katarina.

"You're here, my friend," said Ansem gravely, "I fear that everything we've faced before now seems trivial in comparison."

"Why? What happened, Ansem?" King Mickey asked.

"Again, you have to see it to believe it," said Yuffie.

"Show them," said Ansem. At that Leon activated a hologram projector.

"Okay, here's the thing," said Quistis as the projector booted up, "after the fight with Zangyack, I called in reinforcements from SeeD H.Q. I had enough pull with the higher ups to arrange for a three-member observation team for each world in The Realms of Light."

"Wonderland, Neverland, Halloween Town," said Leon, "we've got people on each world keeping an eye out for just about anything."

"While we supplied each team with a real-time communication device," said Nikolai.

"It uses something called the subway network," said Katarina, "or something like that."

"That's 'Sub-Wave Network,'" said an annoyed Nikolai, "regardless, it allowed instant, undetectable communication across the worlds."

At that the hologram projector began playing an image of three SeeD operatives in their blue uniforms, trekking across a desert landscape, "this was recorded on Agrabah less than an hour ago by SeeD Team Phi 50," said Quistis.

The observation team then crested a dune and saw Columbina, Lady Darklight and The Lord of Illusions, approaching the Cave of Wonders Guardian.

"Is that…?" King Mickey asked as the observation team got closer to the three sinister intruders.

"Yeah, it's that trickster guy who keeps pestering Sora and the others," said Yuffie, "and that evil woman, Columbina."

"But who's the other woman?" Queen Minnie asked in a slightly nervous tone as she rubbed her arms, "and why does she give me goose bumps?"

"I don't know," said Quistis, "but when we first saw this, she made my skin crawl too."

_**"Who Dares Disturb My Slumber?!"**_ rumbled the Cave Guardian at the three intruders.

"Oh, shut up!" shouted Lady Darklight. With a wave of her hands, she summoned a blast of hurricane-force wind that completely blew away the Cave Guardian.

"Impossible!" exclaimed a shocked King Mickey.

"It gets worse," said Leon.

"Wow, you really creamed that thing," said The Lord of Illusions.

"It was mere sand and spirits," said Lady Darklight, "had we ventured inside, we would have been at the entity's mercy."

"I prefer to be at the mercy of no one," said Columbina. By then the wind had ceased and the sand had settled. Where the Cave Guardian once stood lay a large empty pit, into the side of which was set Agrabah's Keyhole.

"And here is it," said Columbina, "sealed by Sora when he and his companions battled and defeated Jafar for the first time." She then looked at Columbina, "smash it."

"Hold it right there!" said the leader of the SeeD team as he and his teammates rushed at the villains, "we can't let you disturb the Keyhole!"

"You want me to take care of these bozos?" asked The Lord of Illusions.

"No, they're mine," said Lady Darklight, "it'll be good exercise for my powers." she waved her left hand and instantly, one of the SeeD operatives was engulfed in black flames that reduced him to ashes within seconds.

Before the other operatives could react, Lady Darklight blasted the second with a beam of dark energy that shattered him like glass, then stabbed the last one, the one with the hologram camera, with her black Keyblade. The man gave a dying gasp of pain and surprise and collapsed to the sand, his camera falling askew yet still maintained a view of the trio of villains and the exposed Keyhole.

"Well done, my dear," said a pleased Columbina, "well done."

"Goodness!" said a horrified Queen Minnie as her hands flew up to her mouth, while King Mickey stood there in stunned silence.

"It still gets worse," said Leon.

"So, how are you gonna smash the Keyhole?" The Lord of Illusions asked.

"Like this," said Lady Darklight as she walked up to the pit, aimed her black Keyblade at the Keyhole and fired a beam of dark energy. The beam hit the Keyhole, which now pulsated with the same dark energy and causing it to vibrate intensely.

First one crack, then another, then another appeared in the Keyhole, until the whole thing was a spider web of cracks.

At that Lady Darklight lowered her black Keyblade and stepped back, a satisfied look on her face, "that should do the trick."

"That's all?" The Lord of Illusions asked.

"That's all," said Lady Darklight.

"And you call that smashing," said a disappointed Lord of Illusions.

"Patience, my friend," said Columbina as she smiled with wicked anticipation, "the best is yet to come.

At that the whole area shook as if an earthquake was happening. With a deafening thunderclap, the sundered Keyhole exploded, followed by a geyser blast of darkness that rose up hundreds of feet in the air, from which emerged thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, of Pureblood Heartless.

Shadows, Neo Shadows, Nova Shadows, Giga Shadows, Invisibles, Darkballs and dozens of types never seen before. The dark creatures fell to the ground and charged back towards the main city of Agrabah, all the while more and more Heartless fell from the fountain of darkness

"NO!" exclaimed King Mickey.

"It still gets worse," said Leon.

"How much worse can it get?" an exasperated Queen Minnie asked.

"Trust me, it does," said Leon.

"Now this is what I call a _smashing_ success!" said The Lord of Illusions as he, Lady Darklight and Columbina shielded themselves from the throngs of Heartless. There were now so many of the creatures on the ground, they were crawling over each other in piles several feet thick. The dark trio had to combine their shields to create a raft so as to float atop the rising tide of Heartless.

"That was so funny, I forgot to laugh," said Columbina, "oh, wait, I just remembered." She then laughed like the villain she was.

"It's only a matter of time before all of Agrabah is drowned in Heartless," said Lady Darklight, "One down, eleven to go."

"If only Sora and his companions where here to see this," said Columbina, "the beginning of the end for the Realms of Light." At that the hologram recording ended.

"That's all we got from Agrabah," said Quistis.

"We sent a scout ship there as soon as the transmission cut out," said Nikolai.

"We got this from the subway network ten minutes ago," said Katarina as Leon loaded and played another hologram recording. This one showed Agrabah from orbit, or rather, a world completely flooded by darkness where Agrabah once stood.

"Where…where there any survivors?" King Mickey asked.

"None," said Nikolai with grim certainty. As far as we can tell, Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie are the last of Agrabah."

"Someone has to tell them," said Queen Minnie, "but…I don't know how they should be told that their world and everyone they knew and loved there…that they're gone."

"It still gets worse," said Leon.

"How can it possibly get worse?" an exasperated King Mickey asked.

"You heard what that vile woman who sundered the Keyhole said," remarked Ansem, "'one down, eleven to go.'"

"This is just the start, your majesty," said Quistis, "Columbina's declared war against The Realms of Light."

"Well, if it's war she wants, it's a war she's gonna get," said King Mickey.

* * *

…**Castle Oblivion…**

"Well, I must say, that was a startling success," said Regina as she and the other villains stood in Insano's lab, waiting for the madman to awaken Gaston's latest clone.

"Yes, a _smashing_ success indeed," said The Lord of Illusions.

"You already used that pun, you idiot," said Lady Darklight, "tell me, how many doppelgangers do I have to go through before I get to the real deal?" She then waved her hand and in a flash, one of Leslie's doppelgangers appeared, dead, hanging via a noose around his neck tied to an overhead lamp.

"If you weren't Columbina's favorite," said an outraged Lord of Illusions, "I'd trap you in a vision of Hell so real, so maddening, your eyes would explode."

"And such lovely eyes they are," said Dio Brando as he walked up to Lady Darklight.

"Touch me and I'll crush your head," said Lady Darklight, "after I crush your manhood into bloody slime."

"Uh…point well taken," said Dio Brando as he backed away.

"Where is it!?" exclaimed the newest Gaston clone as he stormed into the room, "where is that freak! I'll kill it and mount it on my wall!"

"Calm yourself, man," said Insano, "the creature is gone, drowned or crushed in the final end of Rapture."

"How is it that he remembers what happened?" Lady Tremaine asked, "the last time you resurrected us, we had no memory after you took our cell samples."

"Ah, that was then," said Insano with vile eagerness, "this time I took a DNA sample from Gaston after he was ripped apart by Fontaine! Now I can resurrect any of us from the moment of death, and all with SCIENCE!" he exclaimed while holding up a triumphant finger and laughing like the maniac he was.

"How nice for you," said Columbina, "let us move on to more pressing matters, such as which world who's Keyhole shall be shattered next."

"Aren't we forgetting something?" Young Xehanort asked, "what about Ven's heart? It's still in Sora! And Sora is lost somewhere in time and space!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that your ambition of the _X_-Blade is baseless?" Columbina asked in an annoyed tone, "your desires for Kingdom Hearts will never amount to anything, so the sooner you let them go, the sooner you can feel better. Now, let us pick another Keyhole to smash."

"Would you mind if I had a chance to catch my breath?" Lady Darklight asked, "smashing a Keyhole isn't as easy, you know. It's not as if I'm chucking rocks at a window."

"We can at least decide on the next target," said Columbina.

"I'll decide when I'm good and ready," said Lady Darklight, "now if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to get something to eat and take a nap." With that she walked out of the room.

"Don't you dare walk away from me, you ungrateful brat!" snapped Columbina as she followed Lady Darklight out of the room, "need I remind you that I can break you just as easily as you were made?"

"As if I can forget!" called Lady Darklight.

"What a motley pair they make," remarked Sephiroth, "something will have to be done about them."

"Yes, before they completely ruin us all," said Young Xehanort, "and most of all, we have to find Sora and recover Ventus's heart."

"You still haven't given up on that," remarked Regina, "despite all of Columbina's claims that the X-Blade will amount to nothing."

"I'd like to see her prove her claims," said Young Xehanort, "until she has solid evidence that proves me wrong, my ambition will never die!"

"Which is why she has to go," said Sephiroth, "her and that dark abomination of hers."

"As attractive a wench Lady Darklight is," said Dio Brando, "in body and power, she's too dangerous, even for me."

"When the likes of you make such a statement, it must be sincere," said Lady Tremaine.

"What about him?" Gaston asked as he looked at The Lord of Illusions with suspicious eyes, "he's Columbina's lapdog."

"Hey, I only take her coin and do her dirty work," said The Lord of Illusions as he idly leaned against the wall, "whatever grief you have with Columbina, it ain't no business of mine."

"Then the only question is to how we are to deal with Columbina and Darklight," said Regina, "and how to go about finding Sora."

"Assuming he's still alive," said Lady Tremaine.

"Oh, he's alive," said Regina, "and they will be back. I don't know where they are or when they'll return, but they shall return, and when they do, the universe will be shaken down to its foundation. Columbina may have started this war, but Sora and his companions, they shall end it, without a doubt."

* * *

…**In Orbit around Earth C-359...**

_The Intrepid Heart _lay lifeless as it aimlessly followed a decaying orbit that would, in a matter of days, send it tumbling through the Earth's atmosphere to a fiery end.

Yet within the dark confines of the ship, first one light came on, then another, then another. Computer banks began to activate and with a flicker and flash, Sidney reappeared, though her holographic form was still distorted and fuzzy.

She walked over to one of her projectors and manipulated the device, clearing up her image. "Well," she said as she looked around at the various levels of damage afflicting the ship, "I'd say this is a worst case scenario. Main computer offline, external and internal sensors down, life support down, shields and weapons down, propulsion down, no chance of dimensional travel, communications offline, orbit decaying, I'm running on emergency power and a secondary server, and for the cherry atop the sundae, my crew is missing in action. Yep, this is definitely a worst case scenario."

She then walked over to a supply cabinet and pulled out a toolkit, then opened an access panel and began repairing the damaged systems, "looks like I've got my work cut out this time. Just hold on, Sora, everyone, I'll find and bring you all home, no matter what."

**The End of Volume 9**

_And that's it for my crossover with Bioshock, fellow readers and writers and I hope you enjoyed it! But don't worry about Sora and the others, they'll be alright, just not all at once. Next volume we focus on Kairi as she and the Rapture survivors find themselves in the world of Sword Art Online, where a certain game that was way more than a game, takes a terrifying twist, while the players of said game, get swept up in an adventure beyond their wildest dreams and worst nightmares._

_Stay tuned for the next terrifying installment of Kingdom Hearts: Path of the Keyblade Master_

**Volume 10: The Haunting in Aincrad**

_See you then!_


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